President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent two-day official visit to Serbia revealed Turkey’s “goodwill” for future economic cooperation with the Balkans, an economic analyst told the Anadolu agency on Thursday.
According to local analyst Mahmud Busatlija, Belgrade needs to adjust its economy in order to take advantage of Turkish cooperation.
“Visiting Turkey is a good step in the right direction. This is a sign that Turkey has the good will to work with Serbia.
“The question is how Serbia will use it and … [how] Serbia needs to adjust its economy to work with such a country, ”said Busatlija.
Busatlija predicted that Turkey could be one of the ten largest economies in the world and that “good relations must exist” with such economies.
Speaking about a new free trade agreement between Serbia and Turkey, Busatlija said Serbia’s small size raised the question of what it had to offer a Turkish market of 80 million people.
“The 5,000 tons of meat we were granted for export are insignificant, it’s a drop in the ocean, but we can no longer produce.
“Serbia should have a long-term development plan. As much as Turkey was ready to have us as a partner, we must enable the country to do so, “he said.
Busatlija estimated that according to data from 250 Turkish investors operating in Serbia and employing around 7,000 people, most of them are small businesses, which means that Serbia has to cooperate in large complexes or indsutries.
Erdogan’s visit was on the regional media agenda long before the Turkish President arrived in Serbia.
On the eve of the visit, the Serbian media focused mainly on security measures related to engagements in Belgrade and the Muslim-majority city of Novi Pazar.
However, the media focus quickly shifted to the economic and political significance of the visit, particularly the cooperation between Serbs and Bosniaks.
Erdogan’s visit was followed minute by minute from his landing in Belgrade to his departure from Serbia.
Reports showed he was greeted by President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian cabinet. The celebratory reception offered the Turkish guide at the Palace of Serbia a stroll through the Belgrade Fortress before going to Novi Pazar.
Media reports also showed the large crowd greeting the Turkish leader in Novi Pazar, where he was walking with Vucic, as the crowd waved Turkish flags.
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