From Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ANKARA: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated Türkiye’s support for Montenegro’s European Union accession process.
“We sincerely encourage and support the full accession of Montenegro, our NATO ally, to the EU,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at a news conference with his Montenegrin counterpart Milo Djukanovic in Istanbul.
Montenegro applied for EU membership in 2008 and was granted candidate status in December 2010. Accession negotiations started in June 2012.
Erdoğan said Türkiye paid particular attention to the maintenance of stability in southeastern Europe and the region’s economic development, adding that Montenegro, as an “important part” of the Balkans and Europe, makes important contributions to peace and stability.
“Relations between Türkiye and Montenegro are at the highest level,” Erdoğan stressed, adding that the two countries share a common history and culture, along with strong people-to-people and kinship ties. The president added that the two countries aim to reach a bilateral trade volume of $250 million.
“The total of Turkish investments in Montenegro exceeded $67 million. The number of Turkish investor companies is 3,800. This is of course a very important step,” Erdoğan said.
The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) has carried out more than 400 projects and activities in Montenegro with a total value of more than 20 million euros ($21.3 million), he added.
Djukanovic, for his part, said he discussed several issues, including economy and defense, with Erdoğan. He underlined the need for the two countries to use their economic potential.
Hailing Erdoğan for his mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine since the war erupted between them in February, Djukanovic said, “I have great respect for Mr. Erdoğan for his contributions.”
On December 16, 2022, Türkiye had sent its congratulations to Bosnia-Herzegovina after it obtained formal candidate status to join the European Union.
“We welcome the aforementioned decision of the EU and consider that it will make a contribution to the peace and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry had said in a statement.
EU leaders approved the decision at a summit in Brussels following a recommendation by the European Commission in October and voting in the European Council and General Affairs Council this week.
“We believe that the conditions specified in the decision will be fulfilled by Bosnia and Herzegovina as soon as possible, and we expect the EU to constructively support the process,” it added.
Stressing Türkiye’s role in the peace and prosperity of the Balkans and its support of all efforts in this direction, it said: “Within this framework, Türkiye has supported the integration of the Balkan countries with the EU and the Euro-Atlantic institutions from the very beginning.” Bosnia-Herzegovina’s top priorities are joining the political and economic community of European states and to join NATO.
It officially applied for EU membership in 2016. It will be joining other EU candidates – Albania, Moldova, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine – in the process of joining the EU, which can take many years and involves complex negotiations on adjusting local laws to match those of the bloc.
