Vucic: Talk with Erdogan excellent, friendly as always

As always, I had an excellent, friendly and open talk with Erdogan, said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic following a one-on-one meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held Wednesday at the Serbian Palace in Belgrade.

“We exchanged opinions on all issues of importance for our two countries, as well as on the current geopolitical challenges at the regional and global level,” Vucic wrote on Instagram.

At a joint press conference following his meeting with Turkish President Erdogan, President Vucic said that Serbia wants to buy Turkish Baryaktar unmanned fighter jets.

“We want to buy Barjaktar unmanned jets, but so does the whole world, so we will just have to queue up,” said Vucic, adding that Serbia is prepared to pay “significantly more money” for the jets.

Their meeting was followed by a plenary meeting of the Serbian and Turkish delegations and the signing of seven interstate protocols and agreements.

In the presence of Vucic and Erdogan, the two countries’ representatives signed a protocol on changes to the 2010 Agreement on the mutual abolition of visas, an Agreement on mutual encouragement and protection of investments and an Agreement on cooperation in the field of innovation in advanced technologies.

In addition, Serbia and Turkey also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of forest fire suppression, a memorandum of cooperation in the field of media and communications, a memorandum of cooperation in the field of electronic administration and a protocol on cooperation between the Serbian state TV (RTS) and the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation.

Prior to the meetings, a formal ceremony to welcome President Erdogan was held in front of the Serbian Palace in New Belgrade with state and military honors.