Montenegro, Türkiye eye new opportunities, says president

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Montenegro and Türkiye aim to find new opportunities, the Balkan nation's president said on Tuesday, adding that the two countries could greatly improve their ties.

Speaking at an event organized by Türkiye's Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), Milo Dukanovic said his country has its sights on building relations with Turkish businesses and investors.

Türkiye is a friend of Montenegro, he said, noting that Podgorica is pleased to work with Ankara under NATO auspices.

Despite instability being commonplace in the Western Balkans region, Montenegro has been able to attract foreign investors with a population of 650,000, he underlined.

With 20% of his country's economy based on foreign investment, Dukanovic said they had "realized important projects in terms of tourism, energy, and infrastructure."

Touching on Montenegro's application process for EU membership, the president said they had no doubt they would become part of the bloc.

Despite some mistakes on the part of the EU, Montenegro will not step back, he asserted, vowing to keep working to become a member and contribute to a stronger EU.

The war between Russia and Ukraine is deepening existing problems, Dukanovic also said.

"We don't want to see them as interlocutors of war. The EU and Russia should be together and cooperate. War is not a solution."

Nail Olpak, the head of DEIK, said the bilateral trade volume between Türkiye and Montenegro was at $130 million in 2021, and underlined that it would not be hard to reach the target of $250 million.

He said this goal would later rise to $500 million and that the business world must prepare for this target.

Tuesday's event was organized to improve the two countries' economic relations, he stressed.

Naser Alim, the head of DEIK's Türkiye-Montenegro Business Council, said Podgorica offers important opportunities for businesses in the fields of hotel and residential construction, infrastructure, construction materials, tourism, home textiles, production of large home appliances, and energy.

Expressing that Turkish investors have visibly increased activities in Montenegro in the recent period, Alim said that economic reforms carried out in this country had paved the way for an environment very favorable to foreign investments and economic cooperation.