29 May 2019
On May 28th MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov visited Belgrade at the invitation of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
At the meeting Anatoly Torkunov noted that the morning was marred by clashes in Serbian enclaves in Kosovo, which makes the cooperation with Russia, who is Belgrade’s traditional partner and loyal friend, more important. Aleksandar Vučić recalled his visit to Moscow, saying that he had special memories about the ceremony when he was granted MGIMO Honorary Doctorate degree. Anatoly Torkunov told the President about the existing informal mechanisms of cooperation between Russia and other countries, such as the French-Russian Trianon Dialogue Forum and the Austrian-Russian Sochi Dialogue. The Rector noted the possibility and importance of creating a similar mechanism in Serbian-Russian relations.
Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin, Minister-Counsellor Denis Kuznedelev, Belgrade University Rector, Ivanka Popović, AO Naftna Industrija Srbije General Director, Kirill Turdenev, and MGIMO Vice-Rector Artiom Malgin took part in the talks.
The President was present when MGIMO signed a Memorandum on strategic cooperation with AO Naftna Industrija Srbije as well as an agreement on academic and scientific cooperation with Belgrade University.
During his visit, Torkunov met with the heads of Serbian ministries, including the Minister of Education, Mladen Šarčević, and the Minister of Innovation and Technological Development, Nenad Popovic. They discussed in detail possible cooperation between Serbian universities and Russian and Serbian business-communities.
Anatoly Torkunov addressed the students of Belgrade University and met with the Dean of the Law School. The lecture was devoted to the cooperation between great powers in the context of uncertainty.
Rector Anatoly Torkunov also attended a meeting of MGIMO Alumni in Serbia, went on a Belgrade city-tour, and visited the Church of Saint Sava.
— See the MGIMO web-site for russian version
