Turkish foreign minister calls for new Balkan cooperation

Balkan countries need to develop new mechanisms of cooperation to solve their issues, Hurriyet Daily News cites Turkey’s foreign minister as saying.

 “Let us put our own efforts in place instead of waiting for the European Union to solve the problems,” Professor Ahmet Davutoğlu told an informal meeting of foreign ministers of the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SECP) member states in Belgrade, Serbia, on January 31.

 Davutoğlu said the SECP needed to adapt to the changing circumstances in the region and develop “a new mindset” to tackle today’s problems. “We need a new vision to see the SECP from different perspectives to improve political dialogue, develop new economic projects and launch new educational opportunities,” he said.

Davutoğlu recently met with Montenegrin Foreign Minister Milan Rocen, Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki, Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Dimas and Serbian President Boris Tadic.