Turkey is an “important partner” for the entire Western Balkans and in particular for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s foreign minister said.
Speaking to Anadolu on the sidelines of the 60th Munich Security Conference, Elmedin Konakovic said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish officials were “true friends” of his country.
He expressed hope that Ankara’s relations with stakeholders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country composed of two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, could contribute to its integration into NATO.
According to Konakovic, Turkey’s good relations with Serbia could also benefit the Balkan region, as Ankara plays a major role in relations between Sarajevo and Belgrade.
“I believe that Turkey’s relations with the Western Balkan countries will be beneficial and can help stabilize all events in the region,” he said.
Highlighting the long history of good relations between Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina, he said:
“We consider Turkey not only as a partner but also as our friend.”