Turkey to work with Serbia for Passport-free travel

Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister recently announced plans for Turkey to work alongside Serbia to allow citizens from both countries to enjoy passport-free travel. Cavusoglu made the announcement after he attended a news conference with Nikola Selakovic in the Serbian capital of Belgrade.

Easy Travel

Cavusoglu stated that: “We mutually recognise COVID-19 vaccine certificates to enable easy travel for the citizens. Now, our citizens should be able to travel with their identity cards without needing a passport. We will continue to work on this together and I believe that we will reach an agreement.”

Turkey is number one in tourist numbers that visit Serbia and Turkey recently opened a consulate in the Novi Pazar city.

Consular Representative

The foreign minister made an announcement that a new consular representative office has opened in Nis city. Speaking about this, Cavusoglu stated: “It is an area through which a large number of Turkish citizens travelling from the EU countries pass.”

He went on to explain the current situation in the region and explain how important the role of Turkey and Serbia is to engage and keep regional stability and peace, as well as overseeing the development of the region.

Cavusoglu said: “We are witnessing certain tensions and disagreements in Bosnia and Herzegovina lately.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The foreign minister stated: “In this process, both President Erdogan and Aleksander Vucic have important roles. We will do everything to overcome the problems in Bosnia and Herzegovina through dialogue.”

Selakovic explained how Serbia wanted to strengthen and develop their relationship with Turkey saying that: “Turkey’s Consulate General to be officially opened in Novi Pazar city is one of the proofs of the level of trust between the two countries.”

Investment between Turkey and Serbia

The investments Turkey has made in Serbia have increased and they have also strengthened their diplomatic relations too.

Selakovic said: “We are grateful to Turkish investors who open companies and provide employment in regions where other investors do not find attractive. Serbia sees Turkey as an important element of peace and stability in the region. We will continue our cooperation and mutual assistance in the future.”

The foreign minister went to Belgrade for a two-day official visit, and it was on the second day that he attended the official opening of Turkey’s Consulate General in Novi Pazar. Turkey is the first country to open a diplomatic mission in the city.