Ankara wants stability and lasting peace in Balkans: Gul

(SARAJEVO) - Turkey would like entire the Balkans region to integrate in Euro-Atlantic structures to ensure stability and lasting peace of the region, its President Abdullah Gul said Thursday.

"Establishing stability and security (in the Balkans) is essential for our policy because we could build prosperity and economic development on that basis," Gul said in Sarajevo.

Gul was speaking after meeting members of Bosnia's tripartite presidency.

Turkey is already a member of NATO and is trying to join the European Union.

He urged the Balkans states to make more efforts and "act with courage" to accelerate the rapprochement process with the Alliance and European Union.

Stressing the importance of recently intensified contacts with Croatia and Serbia, he said: "All this is done with one goal -- to build sustainable peace, stability and prosperity in this region."

During his two-day visit to Bosnia the Turkish president was accompanied by some 70 businessmen, who were due to accompany him to an economic forum in Sarajevo.

"We will try to encourage businessmen to intensify cooperation and investment," Gul said.

The chairman of Bosnia's presidency Haris Silajdzic was also due to attend the forum.

Economic exchanges between Turkey and Bosnia totalled some 126 million euros (161 million dollars) in the first seven months of the year, mainly in favor of the Turkish economy.