Turkey sets an example to Balkans, says Montenegrin President

Turkey is an example to Balkans nations, Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic has said.

"Turkey is an important member of NATO in terms of both military personnel and economic budget," Vujanovic told Anadolu Agency.

"Turkey's support for the countries in the region is valuable and indispensable. Therefore, Turkey is a strong and effective country for all southeast European countries."

Vujanovic said he was proud of the country's good relations with Turkey and found the support of Turkey "unconditional and honest".

He said: "President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu's support to Montenegro in the process of NATO [membership] is unconditional and honest. Turkey is not doing this for its own interest, it's because Turkey cares about the importance of the stability of Balkan states."

"We are looking forward to President Erdoğan's visit to Montenegro. We are planning to organize a comprehensive business forum as part of Erdoğan's visit to strengthen economic ties between the two countries."

Western Balkan countries need to focus on economic reform to improve their chances of joining the EU, Vujanovic said.

"We need joint projects to develop our economies," he said. "The biggest problem is that our highways are not in good condition. Our priority is to build the Adriatic-Ionian motorway to connect almost all the countries in the region to Europe."

The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline Project is also a priority for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia, who consume up to 10 billion cubic meters of gas a year.

"Bonding those countries with Trans-Adriatic Pipeline Project (TAP) is very important," Vujanovic said. "Implementing this project will realize a major energy investment."