Jovan Ratković

Jovan Ratković ( _sr. Јован Ратковић) is an advisor for relations with the European Union and NATO to the President of Serbia, appointed by Boris Tadić. He is a graduate of the University of East Anglia in politics and environmental economics with international relations.

He is one of the founders of the Otpor! (Resistance) movement, first as chief of the media team and then of the team for international relations. He was a member of the team for the coordination of the campaign against Slobodan Milošević, in the summer of 2000.

He worked in the non-governmental organization Serbian Information Centre in London (1999-2000), which actively helped the democratic forces in Serbia.

During his studies, he formed the Organisation of Serbian Students and Young Professionals Abroad (OSSI).

He was one of the organisers of the Assembly of the Serb Diaspora and Motherland, held in Szentendre, Hungary, which rallied leaders of the Serbian diaspora and of the then opposition movement in Serbia.

After the democratic changes in Serbia, he started working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro. From March 2002 to July 2004, he was the national coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe at the Council of Ministers of Serbia and Montenegro. In this period, he performed two international duties - from April 2002 he represented Serbia and Montenegro during its one-year term as chair of the Process of Cooperation in Southeastern Europe in contacts with the European Union and countries of the region and, from June 2002, he was the regional chairman of the First Working Table (Democratization and Human Rights) of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, for one year.

In September 2003, he became an advisor for foreign affairs (European issues) to the Defence Minister of Serbia and Montenegro, Boris Tadić. In August 2004, he became a special advisor, and in July 2006, an advisor to the President of the Republic of Serbia. Within the Office of the President, he is in charge of relations with the European Union and NATO, and for bilateral relations with European countries.

He is the laureate of the 1993 October Award of the City of Belgrade for Youth Creativity, and of the 1994 Tesla Award for research in the field of geography. He is a member of the Bucerius network of best young world leaders, with headquarters in Hamburg. He has participated in more than 50 international conferences.

References

* [http://www.predsednik.yu/mwc/default.asp?c=102500&g=20061210214221&lng=eng&hs1=1 Biography of Vladimir Cvijan] General Secretariat of the President of the Republic