20 March 2018•Update: 20 March 2018
BELGRADE, Serbia
Turkish and Serbian deputy prime ministers have agreed to work to increase the trade volume between the two nations to $2 billion.
"Our goal is to reach $2 billion and this target is within reach. The trade volume in the first two months of 2018 increased by 50 percent over the same period a year earlier, which is a good sign that the potential between Turkey and Serbia is being materialized," Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Fikri Isik told a news conference after a meeting of a joint Turkish-Serbian economic committee on Tuesday in Belgrade.
The current trade volume between Turkey and Serbia is $1.2 billion, Isik said.
Isik said technical preparations were underway in a joint project for the construction of a motorway between Belgrade and Sarajevo, adding that the motorway "will link Bosnian and Serbian capitals through Turkey's support."
"We want Serbia to make progress in all fields, in all areas of life, because the development of Serbia means the development of the Balkans," said Isik.
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Rasim Ljajic said on his part that an updated version of a free trade agreement between Turkey and Serbia should be adopted by the parliaments of the two countries in order to attain the $2 billion trade goal.
Ljajic said to that end more interaction was also needed between Turkish and Serbian businesspeople as well as more Turkish investments in Serbia.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan paid a visit to Serbia in October 2017.
Turkey and Serbia have seen improving economic ties in recent years.
