Turkey’s foreign minister on Wednesday expressed deep concern over a document questioning the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu made the remarks while addressing a joint news conference with his Bosnian counterpart Bisera Turkovic in the capital Sarajevo.
‘VERY DANGEROUS’
He said any document which questions the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina is “very dangerous” for both the Balkans and the rest of Europe.
“A document that no one supports should not be popularized. From the very beginning, Turkey strongly supports the political unity and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and will continue to do so in the future,” said Çavuşoğlu.
Reports claimed that a non-paper document, which outlines the plan for a change of borders in the Western Balkans, was recently sent to Brussels by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa. The Slovenian government has denied the claims.
Bosnian Foreign Minister Turkovic said that Turkey has a constructive and stabilizing role in the Balkans.
“Turkey has a constructive and stabilizing role in the region. Turkey not only supports the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina but also supports our membership in the European Union,” she said.
Turkovic emphasized that strong relations with Turkey will strengthen Bosnia and Herzegovina and it is in the interest of all people living in the country.
She added that Turkey is the most important ally backing Bosnia and Herzegovia’s accession to NATO.