Minister Marko Djuric

Previous Ambassador of Serbia to the United States of America, where he had strengthened the Serbian diplomatic presence, infrastructure of the diplomatic mission, systematically organized the Serbian diaspora, initiated the establishment of the American-Serbian Business Council and multiplied the number of members of the Serbian Congressional Caucus in the U.S. Congress.

He served as non-resident Ambassador to Suriname, Antigua and Barbuda, Colombia and the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis at the same time, and also as a Permanent Observer to the Organization of American States, an Observer to the Association of Caribbean States and the Plenipotentiary Representative of Serbia to the Caribbean Community.

Earlier on, as the youngest Advisor to the President of Serbia so far, he headed the foreign policy team in the Office of the President and prepared the President’s meetings with a total of 49 heads of state and government, dealing with political, diplomatic issues and protocol. He took part in implementing and creating the Serbian foreign policy agenda and played a role in the Republic of Serbia’s participation in a number of sessions of the United Nations, African Union events, and the coordination of the Serbian Chairmanship of South-East European Cooperation Process. 

He served as Head of the Serbian Negotiating Team for Chapter 35, in the process of accession negotiations with the European Union. He appeared as a delegate dozens of times at the sessions of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly.

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, 2014-2020. He headed the creation and implementation of the state policy of the Republic of Serbia in the midst of political and security challenges of utmost complexity in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija.

He led the team which carried out construction and reconstruction of 2470 houses and flats for Serbs and other Serbian citizens in Kosovo and Metohija – internally displaced persons, returnees and socially vulnerable, while also fully or partially reconstructing 45 churches, monasteries and other religious sites of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He initiated and implemented a number of capital projects of interest for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, including the “Sun Valley” returnee settlement (one of its kind in the world), tourism and health resort Rajska Banja near Banjska, new maternity hospital in Pasjane, a number of new health facilities, kindergartens and schools.

As Head of the Serbian Negotiating Team in the dialogue with the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Pristina from 2012 to 2020, he led Serbian delegations in a total of 221 rounds of negotiations in Brussels. 

He headed the Committee for the implementation of the First Agreement of Principles Governing the Normalization of Relations between Belgrade and Pristina, where he coined the term and came up with the concept of the Community of Serb Municipalities.

One of the founders of the Serbian Progressive Party, the current Deputy Chairman of its Main Board (in the third term).

He ran the Berlin Marathon in 2019.

He conceived and co-designed the emblem that is today in Serbia a widely recognized symbol of Armistice Day in the First World War - Ramonda nathaliae. 

Holds a degree in law. Fluent in English and Hebrew, working knowledge of French and Russian.

Married, father of three daughters.

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 

Foreign affairs and diplomacy

2020-2024: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Serbia to the United States of America

With the support of the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister, he laid the foundations for a new level of bilateral relations between Serbia and the United States, and renewed the Serbian diplomatic presence in the U.S., including infrastructure required for carrying out the diplomatic mission. He became the first Serbian non-resident Ambassador to Colombia and, for the first time, to Suriname, Antigua and Barbuda and the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. He served as an Observer to the Association of Caribbean States, a Permanent Observer to the Organization of American States, and the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Republic of Serbia to the Caribbean Community and Common Market. He initiated the establishment of the American-Serbian Business Council, and was on the Advisory Board of the Executive Council on Diplomacy in Washington, D.C.. He multiplied the number of members of the Serbian Congressional Caucus in the U.S. Congress. For the first time in the history of Serbia's diplomatic presence in the United States, he organized the gathering of the Serbian diaspora by creating the strategic platform "Strengthening Ties", with the aim of restoring the connection of the Serbian people abroad with the mother country and their continuous gathering and engagement for the purpose of promoting and representing the interests of the Serbian state and people in the United States.

2012-2014: Foreign policy advisor to the President of the Republic of Serbia 

As the youngest Advisor to the President of the Republic so far, he headed the foreign policy team in the Office of the President. In this capacity, he was successful in preparing the President’s meetings with a total of 49 heads of state and government, dealing with political, diplomatic issues and protocol. Closely cooperating with the President and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, during the three years on this post he took part in implementing and creating the Serbian short, middle and long term foreign policy agenda. For and on behalf of the Serbian President he addressed bilateral and multilateral issues, continuously holding meetings and maintaining contacts and cooperation with diplomatic representatives of all states and international organizations accredited in Belgrade. He also maintained daily personal contacts and cooperation with advisors and closest associates of heads of state and government from across the globe discussing issues relevant to the Serbian side. He played a role in the Republic of Serbia’s participation in a number of UN General Assembly and UN Security Council sessions and African Union events, coordination of the Serbian Chairmanship of South-East European Cooperation Process, Brdo-Brioni Process, opening of Serbia-EU accession negotiations, including activities within a variety of regional organizations and initiatives. He co-wrote and wrote talking points for statements delivered by Serbian senior representatives at a large number of important international events. 

Head of the Serbian Negotiating Team for Chapter 35, in the process of accession negotiations with the European Union.

He appeared as a delegate dozens of times at the sessions of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly.

He conceived and co-designed the emblem that is today in Serbia a widely recognized symbol of Armistice Day in the First World War - Ramonda nathaliae. 

Kosovo and Metohija 

2014-2020: Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija 

As its longest-tenured Director since launch, he headed this body tasked with creating and implementing the state policy and coordinating all activities of the Republic of Serbia in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija in the midst of political and security challenges of utmost complexity. He led the team which carried out construction and reconstruction of 2470 houses and flats for Serbs and other Serbian citizens in Kosovo and Metohija – internally displaced persons, returnees and socially vulnerable, while also cooperating with the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raska-Prizren in full or partial reconstruction of 45 churches, monasteries and other religious sites of the Serbian Orthodox Church. For merit in this context he received, on behalf of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, the Order of the Holy King Milutin from His Holiness Patriarch Irinej - one of the highest decorations of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He initiated and implemented a number of capital projects of interest for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, including the “Sun Valley” returnee settlement (one of its kind in the world), tourism and health resort Rajska Banja near Banjska, new maternity hospital in Pasjane, a number of new health facilities, kindergartens and schools. During his term of duty he stayed in Kosovo and Metohija on more than 150 occasions to meet with the locals, deal with problems and provide humanitarian and other forms of aid on behalf of the Republic of Serbia. As he discharged his duties, he was illegally and brutally arrested and inflicted serious injuries by the special forces loyal to Pristina. He also served as Head of the Serbian Government Working Group for internal dialogue on the resolution of the Kosovo and Metohija issue, chairing over 40 roundtable discussions on this issue and participating alongside preeminent Serbian experts in various areas, representatives of different professions and social groups. In September 2020, he was on the state delegation of Serbia at the talks between Belgrade and Pristina held in Washington, D.C.. He participated in high-level meetings presenting the national policy of Serbia concerning Kosovo and Metohija to the leadership of the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, Germany, France, etc. He accompanied President Aleksandar Vucic at the first bilateral meeting held in more than two decades between the leaders of Serbia and the United States at the White House.

2012-2020: Head of the Serbian Negotiating Team in the dialogue with Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Pristina 

He was head of Serbian delegation in 221 rounds of talks with representatives of Pristina PISG in Brussels, with participation of the EU and other stakeholders. He actively participated and was in charge of political and technical level preparations of the majority of high-level meetings and negotiations on this issue in the period indicated above.

Head of the Committee for the implementation of the First Agreement of Principles Governing the Normalization of Relations between Belgrade and Pristina. 

As a member of the Serbian President and Government team, he coined the term and came up with the concept of the Community of Serb Municipalities which was included in the First Agreement.

Political engagement - Serbian Progressive Party

In 2008, he was among the founding members of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS);

He would receive citizens on the first party premises in Cika Ljubina St., Belgrade, engage in political activism (canvassing, distribution of promotional materials). As an alumnus of the Faculty of Law in Belgrade he penned with Mr. Nikola Selakovic an analysis of the draft statute of Autonomous Province of Vojvodina from a legal and political point of view. He was on the SNS Legal Council and International Cooperation Council; 

2009-2012: He held over 100 regular weekly media conferences of the Serbian Progressive Party prepared with the Party’s deputy president, he took part in public forums, TV shows, panels, showing full commitment to the party;

2009: Member of the SNS Main Board;

2012: Member of the SNS party Presidency;

2016-present: Deputy Chairman of SNS Main Board;

He co-authored the 2011 “white book” of SNS programming principles. In the field of international cooperation among parties, he is in charge of cooperation with political parties beyond European borders, heading Serbian party delegations at a number of international political party forums;

2019: Head of South-Eastern European governing parties delegation at the Belt and Road Summit in the People’s Republic of China;

2014-2020: Head of SNS election campaign and, in his capacity as Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, coordinator of support to the Serb List in Kosovo and Metohija in a total of ten election cycles.

Other professional experience

2011: Research Associate of the Institute for Political Studies in Belgrade.

2000-2001: Author and host of the youth political magazine “On the Sofa” ("Na kanabetu") - Radio Belgrade 202.

Worked in the press service of the Resistance (“Otpor”) Movement - pro-democratic political activism.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND RECOGNITIONS

Holder of the Order of Njegos, 3rd class – Republic of Srpska

Holder of the Order of Nikola Tesla – Tesla Science Foundation

Holder of the Order of the Holy King Milutin - Serbian Orthodox Church

Holder of the 2016 recognition for the best young politician of the region - European Movement in Bosnia and Herzegovina 

EDUCATION

Holds a degree in law. 

He graduated from the "Vladislav Ribnikar" Elementary School and the First Belgrade High School. He studied at the Faculty of Law of the University of Belgrade and completed his law studies at the Faculty of Law for Commerce and Judiciary in Novi Sad. At the faculty, he organized and moderated public panel discussions: "Kosovo and Metohija as a global problem", which brought together professors and students from more than 40 countries (2007), "Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU - legal dilemmas", in which many professors, experts and decision-makers, including government ministers and the then prime minister (2008) participated, and other public discussions. Participant and award winner in the traditional debate competition organized by the Faculty of Law. Took first place as part of the Faculty of Law team as a "Representative of the State before the International Court of Justice" in the prestigious Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in 2006.

Fluent in English and Hebrew, working knowledge of French and Russian.

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND INTERESTS

He was born on 25 June 1983 in Belgrade. He is married to Andrijana Djuric and is a father of three daughters - Jovana, Milica and Djurdja.

In his spare time he likes to run. He ran many races including the Berlin Marathon, The 20 km of Brussels, Army Ten-Miler in the United States, etc.