Top state officials receive Turkish PM

Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Belgrade this Monday. The two premiers stated in Belgrade that the relations between the two countries were good but that there was room for their further development, and added that the Balkans should become an area of stability and peace rather than conflict in the region. Top state officials receive Turkish PM The prime ministers stressed that their talks were constructive and productive and that in addition to discussing all forms of cooperation, they also devoted a lot of attention to the situation in the region. Turkey wants to see prosperity in the Balkans, which can only be achieved with Serbia's participation, Erdogan said. While speaking about the Balkans, the Turkish prime minister said that the region "needs to be democratized" and added that "nothing good has ever come from hatred". Serbian President Boris Tadic's visit to Srebrenica on Sunday and Serbia's declaration condemning crimes committed in Srebrenica represent two ways of overcoming difficulties, Erdogan pointed out. Cvetkovic and Erdogan also discussed the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and stressed that all countries share the same stand. "We have to start the process of reconciliation in the region, and what Serbia has been trying to do lately can be seen as building the foundation for reconciliation and good neighborly relations," Cvetkovic said. Serbian and Turkish ministers signed six documents on cooperation in infrastructure. Serbian and Turkish foreign ministers Vuk Jeremic and Ahmet Davutoglu also signed an agreement on the mutual abolishment of visas. The agreement was signed at the Palace of Serbia, in the presence of Serbian and Turkish prime ministers, Mirko Cvetkovic and Recep Erdogan, as part of an official Turkish state delegation visit to Serbia. Erdogan noted that Serbia was the only Balkans country which required visas from Turkish citizens and said he hoped the agreement would be implemented soon. The representatives of the Serbian and Turkish companies signed memorandums of understanding in Belgrade on Monday on the construction of three road sections of the Belgrade-South Adriatic highway and a framework agreement on the reconstruction of the M8 road from Novi Pazar to Aljinovici. The memorandums of understanding were signed for the construction of Belgrade-Ljig, Ljig-Cacak and Cacak-Pozega sections of the Belgrade-South Adriatic highway. These documents represent one of the possible means of realizing the project of the Belgrade-South Adriatic highway construction, as one of the most significant projects in Serbia's road infrastructure, it was announced in Belgrade. Meanwhile in Serbia's predominantly Muslim southwestern part of the country, where Erdogan and President Boris Tadic are expected later in the day, Novi Pazar Mayor Meho Mahmutovic dubbed the visit a "historic event for the town". Mahmutovic said that the visit of the two officials was taking place at the point when the Serbian government accepted the initiative of Serbian Minister of Labor and Social Policy Rasim Ljajic on the abolishment of visas between Serbia and Turkey. "The visa regime slowed down the communication between the two countries' citizens, particularly the business people," Mahmutovic stated earlier. He said that a protocol will be signed in Belgrade on Monday on the construction of the highway section through Sandzak, a region along the Serbia-Montenegro border, and the reconstruction of Novi Pazar-Sjenica and Novi Pazar-Tutin roads. L-R: Erdogan, Tadic, Cvetkovic (Beta)

Top state officials receive Turkish PM

The prime ministers stressed that their talks were constructive and productive and that in addition to discussing all forms of cooperation, they also devoted a lot of attention to the situation in the region.

Turkey wants to see prosperity in the Balkans, which can only be achieved with Serbia's participation, Erdogan said.

While speaking about the Balkans, the Turkish prime minister said that the region "needs to be democratized" and added that "nothing good has ever come from hatred".

Serbian President Boris Tadić's visit to Srebrenica on Sunday and Serbia's declaration condemning crimes committed in Srebrenica represent two ways of overcoming difficulties, Erdogan pointed out.

Cvetković and Erdogan also discussed the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and stressed that all countries share the same stand.

"We have to start the process of reconciliation in the region, and what Serbia has been trying to do lately can be seen as building the foundation for reconciliation and good neighborly relations," Cvetković said.

Serbian and Turkish ministers signed six documents on cooperation in infrastructure.

Serbian and Turkish foreign ministers Vuk Jeremić and Ahmet Davutoglu also signed an agreement on the mutual abolishment of visas.

The agreement was signed at the Palace of Serbia, in the presence of Serbian and Turkish prime ministers, Mirko Cvetković and Recep Erdogan, as part of an official Turkish state delegation visit to Serbia.

Erdogan noted that Serbia was the only Balkans country which required visas from Turkish citizens and said he hoped the agreement would be implemented soon.

The representatives of the Serbian and Turkish companies signed memorandums of understanding in Belgrade on Monday on the construction of three road sections of the Belgrade-South Adriatic highway and a framework agreement on the reconstruction of the M8 road from Novi Pazar to Aljinovici.

The memorandums of understanding were signed for the construction of Belgrade-Ljig, Ljig-Čačak and Čačak-Požega sections of the Belgrade-South Adriatic highway.

These documents represent one of the possible means of realizing the project of the Belgrade-South Adriatic highway construction, as one of the most significant projects in Serbia's road infrastructure, it was announced in Belgrade.

Meanwhile in Serbia's predominantly Muslim southwestern part of the country, where Erdogan and President Boris Tadić are expected later in the day, Novi Pazar Mayor Meho Mahmutović dubbed the visit a "historic event for the town".

Mahmutović said that the visit of the two officials was taking place at the point when the Serbian government accepted the initiative of Serbian Minister of Labor and Social Policy Rasim Ljajić on the abolishment of visas between Serbia and Turkey.

"The visa regime slowed down the communication between the two countries' citizens, particularly the business people," Mahmutović stated earlier.

He said that a protocol will be signed in Belgrade on Monday on the construction of the highway section through Sandžak, a region along the Serbia-Montenegro border, and the reconstruction of Novi Pazar-Sjenica and Novi Pazar-Tutin roads.