Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajić said today that the economic relations between Serbia and Turkey are improving and that the value of trade between the two countries over the next two years should reach at least one billion euros.

The interest of Turkish companies to invest in Serbia has never been greater, said Ljajić at the conference entitled “Improving the economic relations between Turkey and Serbia”, which was held in Belgrade, adding that investors from this country are welcome and that the Serbian government will do everything to help them.

He said that in Serbia there are currently 60 to 70 Turkish companies, and that their numbers in neighboring countries is significantly higher and that Serbia wants to attract more Turkish investors.

Ljajić said that the fact that two countries have good relations does not mean that their cooperation cannot be even better and more successful.

The exchange of goods between Serbia and Turkey, he added, is not satisfactory from the standpoint of potential, because in the year 2014, it amounted to 618 million euros.

However, Ljajić said it was two and a half times more than in 2010, when the free trade agreement entered into force.

He noted that the Serbian exports increased five times, while Turkish exports doubled after this agreement entered into force.

Ljajić pointed out that there was a significant increase in the number of flights from Belgrade to Istanbul and back, so the total number of passengers in January this year was over 20,000 passengers, which is almost twice more than in the same month of 2013.

He said that the number of Turkish tourists in Serbia increased, and that Turkey is the second favorite tourist destination for Serbs, after Greece.

“Telenovelas and Serbian tourists have contributed to improving our mutual relations and the elimination of stereotypes,” said Ljajić.

Turkish Assistant Minister of Economy Adnan Yildirim said that the relations between the two countries are better than ever. He pointed out the fact that Serbia annually hosts a million and a half members of the Turkish diaspora, as well as 110,000 Turkish trucks.

Turkey’s Ambassador to Serbia, Kemal Bozaj, pointed out that this is the right time to promote cooperation in all economic fields. “In the coming period, I expect even more people to be interested in investing in Serbia, as well as many Serbian companies in Turkey,” concluded Ambassador Bozaj.