Türkiye and Serbia agreed to deepen cooperation in areas ranging from foreign policy and defense to culture and trade after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Ankara, a joint declaration said.
The leaders said bilateral ties have advanced in recent years under the High-Level Cooperation Council framework launched in 2017, adding that the council’s meetings have helped set shared targets and broaden cooperation.
The declaration said the talks took place at a time of heightened uncertainty in the region and globally, and that the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations alongside current international developments.
Ankara and Belgrade agreed to deepen cooperation in multiple fields including economic and commercial relations, defense industry cooperation, energy, transportation and connectivity, tourism, education, advanced technologies and environmental issues.
They also agreed to convene the next meeting of the Türkiye-Serbia Joint Economic Commission “at the earliest opportunity,” describing it as the backbone of economic and trade relations.
The two sides welcomed the bilateral trade volume reaching $3.5 billion in 2025 and reiterated the goal of raising it to $5 billion in the coming years.
The declaration also noted rising two-way tourism and praised Turkish companies involved in major infrastructure and contracting projects in Serbia, particularly in transport and energy.
Both leaders said they were satisfied with the outcomes of the first two meetings of the Balkan Peace Platform, held on July 26, 2025 and Jan. 23, 2026, and highlighted EXPO 2027 Belgrade as an opportunity to support regional growth and cooperation.
