OverviewAs part of its ongoing SMART Talk series, the EastWest Institute will host a special evening with Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister of Serbia, and President of the Serbian Progressive Party. Prime Minister Vučić will address a range of issues, including his country's critical role in maintaining regional stability in the Balkans, linking Europe and Russia, the ongoing migrant crisis and Serbia's position as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East. BackgroundVučić has had a long and distinguished career in the Serbian government. In 1993, he was first elected an MP into the National Assembly. In 1998, he was appointed Minister of Information in the Government of National Unity, and later served as Minister of Defense from 2012 to 2013, as well as First Deputy Prime Minister from 2012-14. In this capacity, he actively participated in negotiations between the Serbian government and provisional institutions in Pristina, Kosovo under the auspices of the EU. Together with Tomislav Nikolic, he founded the Serbian Progressive Party in 2008. In March 2014, after the Serbian Progressive Party won a majority of seatsin parliamentary elections, Vučić was elected Prime Minister, a position reaffirmed in August 2016, when the Serbian Progressive Party again won in the latest round of elections. View his complete bio. AgendaDate: September 21, 2016 Time: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. EDT Location: EastWest Institute | 11 East 26th St. 20th Fl., New York, NY 10010 Refreshments will be served. How to JoinFor questions, please contact Franz Essig at fessig@eastwest.ngo. Deadline: Monday, September 19
