Montenegro appreciates Türkiye's 'constructive' role toward Balkans

By Sumeyye Dilara Dincer

ANKARA (AA) - Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic expressed his appreciation for Türkiye's "constructive role" toward Balkan states.

Speaking to Anadolu, Milatovic said he was pleased to be in the Turkish capital Ankara, emphasizing that his visit reflects the "excellent" bilateral relations between the two nations.

"We very much appreciate the constructive role that Türkiye has also vis a vis the Balkan states… Montenegro is perceived as a good neighbor. I believe that Türkiye has this perception as well,” Milatovic added.

Particularly in recent years, he said Türkiye's role as a "credible" and good “neighbor" has gained stronger recognition among the Balkan nations.

"We very much obviously appreciate the role of Türkiye,” he stressed.

He noted that this year marks the 145th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Podgorica and Ankara.

"I believe that excellent political relations that we have are just a reflection of the mutual trust and respect between the people of Montenegro and people of Türkiye, as I already said, all of that is based on historical, cultural, and economic ties,” he noted.

- NATO alliance

Reminding that Türkiye and Montenegro are NATO allies, Milatovic said Podgorica joined the alliance in 2017 and emphasized that reliable membership within the NATO alliance is a cornerstone of his country's foreign policy.

He also added that Türkiye's role, not just in Montenegro but throughout the Balkans, is widely perceived as "constructive."

"For instance, Türkiye has approached different issues, political issues that exist in the region in a very constructive way.

"They are supportive in the same way as Montenegro is when it comes to issues between Belgrade and Pristina, between Serbia and Kosovo,” he said.

He said he believed that Montenegro and Türkiye share a similar stance on Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly in their respect for the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended nearly four years of devastating war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, establishing one of the world’s most complex political systems.

Signed on Dec. 14, 1995, the agreement officially brought an end to the Bosnian War, in which at least 100,000 people were killed and over 2 million displaced.

- Economic ties

Milatovic highlighted that Ankara is one of Montenegro's largest foreign investors, adding that nearly 10,000 companies have been founded by Turkish citizens.

This is a strong indicator of the intensity of economic cooperation and the mutual trust between Türkiye and Montenegro, he said.

He stated that this growth reflects Montenegro's strong image as an "attractive" and "credible" destination among Turkish investors.

Milatovic also stressed that his country hosts numerous small companies from Türkiye, emphasizing the presence of a thriving Turkish entrepreneurial community in Montenegro.

*Writing by Muhammed Enes Calli