Fidan: Close relations between Bosnia and Croatia are important for the safety and stability of the region

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed today, Saturday, that establishing close relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia is of great importance in terms of stability and peace in the region in the long term.

This came in statements he made during a joint press conference with his Croatian counterpart Gordan Grlic Radman and Bosnian counterpart Alemdin Konakovic, following the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Trilateral Consultative Mechanism between Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, which was held in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik.

Fidan expressed his thanks to his Croatian and Bosnian counterparts for holding the tripartite meeting in "this critical period for the region."

He added that they held "fruitful discussions" to strengthen relations and ties between the three countries and regional cooperation among them to advanced levels.

He stressed that establishing close relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia is of great importance in terms of stability and peace in the region in the long term.

In a related context, Fidan renewed his country's "firm support for the unity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina."

The consultation mechanism between the three countries was established in 2010, and to date, eight sessions have been held at the level of foreign ministers, and Turkey hosted the last meeting on November 6, 2020 in the state of Antalya.

As a member of the Peace Implementation Council established under the Dayton Peace Agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey is actively engaged in bilateral, regional and multilateral forums to maintain peace and stability in Bosnia.

Turkey is also the country that provides the largest number of troops after EU member states to the international peace mission EUFOR-Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Relations between Turkiye and Croatia are also developing thanks to communications at the highest levels, and the volume of trade between the two countries has reached one billion dollars.