BELGRADE, Serbia

Turkey supports the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as its efforts to strengthen as a state and economic development, said its deputy foreign minister on Monday.

'Turkey is a country that always supports stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, strives to strengthen it as a state, and advance its economy towards development," said Faruk Kaymakci after completing an official visit to the capital Sarajevo.

Kaymakci said that he paid a two-day visit to stress that Turkey supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Turkey is an important trading partner, an investor, and a country that makes significant investments in Bosnia and Herzegovina,' said Kaymakci.

During his visit to Sarajevo, Kaymakci met Deputy Foreign Minister Josip Brkic, the Office of the High Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina (OHR), and ​attended a talk on "Turkey, the Balkans and the EU" at Sarajevo University.

The top diplomat's remarks come amid a political dispute between Bosniaks and Serbs living in the country.

The dispute began in July after Valentin Inzko, the former High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, amended the criminal code to ban the denial of genocide and the glorification of war criminals.

Bosnian Serb politicians said they would boycott the country's institutions in protest.

Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of Bosnia's joint Presidency, denounced the changes. “We will not live in a country where someone can impose a law by simply publishing it on his website,” he said.