UPDATE - Turkish foreign minister attends regional summit in Montenegro

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By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday attended the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) leaders' summit in Montenegro's capital Podgorica.

On behalf of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Fidan will also hold some bilateral meetings in Podgorica.

Ahead of the summit, the participants attended a family photo shoot.

During his closed-door speech at the summit, Fidan said the SEECP has an "indispensable" role in seeking solutions to the region's problems, and Türkiye supports initiatives aiming to provide peace, welfare, and stability in the Balkans.

The SEECP brings together Türkiye, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Greece, Croatia, Moldova, and Montenegro.

It represents the shared desire of countries in the region to strengthen intergovernmental cooperation and bring long-term stability to southeastern Europe.

On the sidelines of the summit, Fidan held a bilateral meeting with Montenegro's President Jakov Milatovic.

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On Monday, Fidan attended the opening ceremony of the Turkish Chamber of Commerce in Montenegro.

During his speech, he said Türkiye and Montenegro expect to reach a target of $250 million in trade volume by the end of 2023.

"Our economic power is one of the most important elements of our national security and national welfare. As the government, we will always continue to support you and our businessmen in every field," he added.

Separately, Fidan on Monday met with Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister and Bosniak Party chair Ervin Ibrahimovic.

The minister congratulated the Bosniak Party for its election success and stressed that Türkiye will continue to support Bosniaks in Montenegro.

He also attended an Eid al-Adha gathering organized by the Islamic Community in Montenegro and met with Rifat Fejzic, the head of the Islamic Community of Montenegro, a religious organization of Muslims in the Balkan country.

Milatovic was joined by Parliament President Danijela Djurov and Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic at the event on Monday.