BELGRADE, Mar 25, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his host Bosnian counterpart Nikola Spiric pledged on Tuesday to intensify and improve cooperation in all fields, said reports reaching here from the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. 

Spiric told the press after the meeting that the two leaders agreed that the friendly relations are not followed by a good economic cooperation and cooperation in all other sectors. 

"Last year we imported goods from Turkey worth 270 million convertible marks (210 million U.S. dollars) and exported at the same time goods worth some 40 million convertible marks (31 million dollars) to Turkey," said Spiric, adding that such a trade imbalance must be changed. 

"This visit is a sign of a new, stronger cooperation between the two friendly countries. We expressed readiness for cooperation in all sectors," Spiric said. 

Erdogan agreed it was necessary to better use the good political relations to intensify cooperation in other areas as well. 

Apart from boosting cooperation, Erdogan said Turkey would support Bosnia's progress towards full NATO membership at the forthcoming NATO summit in Bucharest.

Spiric informed his Turkish opposite number that Bosnia would support Turkish Izmir's candidacy for EXPO 2015.

Erdogan arrived Monday in Sarajevo as part of a regional tour which will also take him to Albania and Bulgaria. He was accompanied by around 40 Turkish businessmen who held talks on concrete cooperation with their Bosnian colleagues. 

Mr. Spiric says last year Bosnia imported $215 million in goods from Turkey, while exports amounted to just $62 million dollars.

He called for change to resolve the problem.

Mr. Erdogan arrived in Bosnia-Herzegovina late Monday accompanied by a delegation of 40 Turkish businessmen. He is expected to hold talks with members of the country's collective presidency and cabinet Tuesday.

Mr. Erdogan will also visit with the 250 Turkish soldiers serving with the European Union force in Bosnia.