Vucic hails Erdoğan as 'global leader,' pushes for stronger Serbia-Türkiye ties

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić delivered a striking endorsement of his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday, describing him as "a great leader, not only of Türkiye, but also of the region and indeed a leader with global influence." Speaking at a joint press conference following the fourth High-Level Cooperation Council meeting in Ankara, Vučić emphasized the depth and sincerity of bilateral ties, deliberately moving beyond conventional diplomatic language.

Strategic partnership across multiple fronts

Vučić identified Türkiye as "an extremely important partner for Serbia" across political, economic, defense industry and technological domains. He acknowledged that while Serbia is geographically smaller, it fully recognizes Ankara's political weight and its expanding influence in military and technological sectors. The Serbian leader underlined that Turkish companies are actively investing in less developed regions of Serbia—particularly in the south—creating jobs and contributing to local development in areas where international investment has historically lagged.

Infrastructure, defense and parliamentary cooperation

The Serbian president detailed extensive discussions on major infrastructure projects involving Turkish public institutions and private firms, including highway and railway developments. He expressed confidence that pending agreements on key transportation corridors would be finalized soon. Notably, Vučić confirmed that the two leaders discussed military and technical cooperation for the first time, including potential collaboration between their armed forces—a development he described as significant for preserving peace and securing a better future for both nations. He also announced plans to activate a joint committee with an intensive agenda in coming months and to establish parliamentary friendship group frameworks.

Full backing for Balkan Peace Platform

"I strongly support President Erdoğan's Balkan Peace Platform initiative," Vučić declared, emphasizing that regional cooperation is "extremely important" for long-term stability and prosperity. He confirmed he would gladly accept invitations to future platform meetings, describing the initiative as vital for bringing together the Balkans' peoples and economies. Vučić thanked Türkiye for confirming its participation in EXPO 2027, which Serbia will host in Belgrade, describing the decision as important for expanding economic and cultural ties. He concluded by expressing hope that Erdoğan's forthcoming visit to Serbia would be his largest yet, accompanied by the signing of "very important agreements," and thanked the Turkish president for his hospitality.