Prishtina, 20 May 2010
On the first day of his official visit to the Republic of Turkey, Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi met with Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign Minister Davutoglu. The Prime Minister was greeted with the highest state honors in Ankara.
Prime Minister Thaçi and Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey initially held a “lengthy and friendly” face-to-face meeting, before holding other meetings along with senior officials of the two countries. The bilateral cooperation between the two countries was highly regarded in all meetings and both Kosovo and Turkey officials expressed their commitment for building and deepening relations in all fields.
The Government officials and their Turkish counterparts also signed several cooperation agreements in the fields of transportation, agriculture, education and the environment. Representatives of the Turkish Government also pledged to support the establishment of Prizren University.
The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Erdogan, in a press conference following their meeting, emphasized the will of their respective countries to strengthen relations.
Prime Minister Erdogan expressed Turkey’s readiness to continue supporting Kosovo economically, in education and the environment, and especially in lobbying for new recognitions of Kosovo’s independence.
Prime Minister Thaçi thanked the Turkish Government and the Turkish people for their unreserved support for Kosovo, highlighting the fact that Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize Kosovo. He also said that Kosovo is a good investment opportunity and he called on Turkish investors to invest in Kosovo.
Prime Minister Erdogan emphasized his country’s stance in support of Kosovo’s territorial integrity and also promised assistance to Kosovo in its road towards integration into the Euro-Atlantic institutions.
Prime Minister Thaçi and Prime Minister Erdogan noted that the Turkish community in Kosovo is a very important element and a bridge for intensifying cooperation between Kosovo and Turkey.
Prime Minister Erdogan also hosted a lunch, following the press conference, in honor of the visit of Prime Minister Thaçi and the Kosovo delegation.
During their first day in Turkey, the Kosovo delegation, led by the Prime Minister, also held a meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
The Prime Minister and the Turkish Foreign Minister discussed bilateral relations and Foreign Minister Davutoglu pledged continued support from Turkish diplomacy in garnering new recognitions of Kosovo. The Prime Minister thanked Foreign Minister Davutoglu for his commitment and that of the Government of Turkey in its diplomatic support for the State of Kosovo.
Prime Minister Thaçi will meet with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in Istanbul tomorrow. During his stay in Istanbul, the Prime Minister will also meet with Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas and, in a separate meeting, with Turkish business representatives interested in investing in Kosovo.
Last modified: July 31, 2022