President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the Republic of Türkiye and President Aleksandar Vucic of the Republic of Serbia met in Ankara on 12 February 2026.
The parties expressed their contentment with the progress achieved in bilateral relations in recent years based on the Joint Political Declaration on the Establishment of the High-Level Cooperation Council (HLCC) signed in 2017, and highlighted the contribution of the four HLCC meetings held so far in adding new dimensions to the relations by setting new shared objectives.
The visit took place at a time marked by heightened fragility and uncertainty in our region and globally. Against this backdrop, the two leaders had the opportunity to review bilateral relations, in addition to exchanging views on current global developments.
During the discussions held with the participation of relevant Ministers within the framework of the forward-looking common vision outlined by the two leaders, the Parties:
- Expressed their contentment with the multidimensional cooperation between the two countries in areas shaped by mutual benefit;
- Agreed to further deepen cooperation in foreign policy, economic and commercial relations, defence industry, culture, tourism, education, energy, transportation, connectivity, advanced technologies, environment, and beyond;
- Decided that the next meeting of the Türkiye-Serbia Joint Economic Commission, which constitutes the backbone of economic and commercial relations, shall be convened at the earliest opportunity;
- Welcomed the bilateral trade volume reaching 3.5 billion USD in 2025 and underlined the importance of taking the necessary steps in collaboration to raise this figure to 5 billion USD in the coming years;
- Noted their satisfaction with the increasing numbers of tourists travelling reciprocally, setting a new record every year, and the benefits this provides in bringing the people of the two countries closer together;
- Commended the successful work of Turkish companies operating in the construction and contracting sectors in infrastructure projects in Serbia, particularly in the fields of transport and energy;
- Emphasised their contentment with the efforts directed towards agreements that will consolidate the legal framework in the fields of advanced technologies and education;
- Reaffirmed their readiness to continue existing cooperation on bilateral and regional platforms to foster peace and stability in the region;
- Expressed their satisfaction with the outcomes of the first two meetings of the Balkans Peace Platform held on 26 July 2025 and 23 January 2026;
- Highlighted the importance of EXPO 2027 Belgrade in terms of regional economic growth and cooperation;
- Resolved to expedite the activities of the Türkiye-Serbia Business Council, established in 2002, acknowledging the key role played by the private sector in promoting trade and investments;
- Reiterated their determination to enhance cooperation in the defence industry as agreed upon in the Fourth Meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council (HLCC), held in Belgrade in October 2024;
- Decided to take the necessary steps to expedite cooperation in the fields of civil aviation, culture, and tourism;
- Emphasised their belief that regular mutual high-level visits will further deepen cooperation between the two countries;
- Agreed to hold the next Council meeting as soon as possible.
This declaration was adopted in Ankara on 12 February 2026 in Turkish, Serbian, and English.