Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić Becomes MGIMO Honorary Doctor

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić Becomes MGIMO Honorary Doctor

20 December 2017

December 20th, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić paid a visit to MGIMO, where he had a meeting with the management of the University and delivered a lecture to students and members of the faculty.

MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov introduced the guest of honor and noted that relations between Russia and Serbia have always been very friendly and based on mutual understanding. The Rector remarked that the President’s visit to Russia and to MGIMO has a special significance for many Russians, who love Serbia. He also reminded the audience that in 2018, Russia and Serbia will celebrate the 180th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

To the sounds of MGIMO’s official anthem, Anatoly Torkunov congratulated Aleksandar Vučić on the unanimous decision of the University’s Academic Council to award him the title of Honorary Doctor of MGIMO for his significant contribution to developing Russian-Serbian cooperation and peace.

The President of Serbia remarked that it was an honor to give a talk at MGIMO, which is, to many, the most prestigious university in Russia. The President dedicated his doctoral lecture to state sovereignty and the importance of independent decision-making. Aleksandar Vučić spoke about how Russia supports Serbia and about his meeting, the day before, with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Aleksandar Vučić noted that while Serbia had chosen a European path of development, Russia remains a major partner in all spheres. Serbia does not aspire to join NATO and is the only European country to oppose the sanctions against Russia. The speaker also analyzed economic issues, the Kosovo problem and the European Union. Upon completion of his lecture, the President took questions from the audience.

— See the MGIMO web-site for more photos and russian version