105 Alexander Avenue VESKO GARCEVIC Belmont, MA, 02478 e-mail: veskog@bu.edu CURRICULUM VITAE Experience in Diplomacy: July 2016 now: Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston; Professor of the Practice of International Relation February 2015 Jun 30, 2016: National coordinator for NATO; MFA Montenegro: General director for NATO and Security Policy Serving in Belgium/NATO, rewarded me with a valuable experience in understanding how NATO, organization of vital importance for the global security, functions. At this moment, I hold two positions: one is within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration at the level of Deputy Minister (position of General Director), and another as National Coordinator for NATO in charge of public campaign for raising support for the NATO membership of Montenegro (appointed by the Government of Montenegro). As the National Coordinator, I actually work for the Prime Minister Cabinet. Getting the invitation for NATO membership was set by the Montenegrin Government as the key foreign policy goal in 2015. Being a leader of two teams, I have to apply my organizational and diplomatic skills, especially visible in a continuous and extremely challenging communication with the foreign and domestic public. This also includes active domestic public engagement as a leader of the public campaign for NATO membership of my country as well as intensive diplomatic interaction and numerous official visits to NATO HQ in Brussels. Both positions imply a high level of autonomy, the need for leadership quality and a high level of responsibility for delivered results. In December 2015, NATO decided to invite Montenegro to join the Alliance. My dedication, initiative, and leadership were praised by leading Government officials. On May 19, 2016, the NATO member states signed the Protocol of Accession of Montenegro to NATO that allowed Montenegro participation in work of various NATO committees and bodies. The full membership will be granted once the member states ratified the Protocol. November 24, 2010 January 31, 2015: Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, Kingdom of the Netherlands and Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Coordinated complex diplomatic activities aimed at strengthening bilateral political and economic relations between Montenegro and Kingdom of Belgium, Kingdom of the Netherlands and Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Initiated, prepared, and participated in visits of high-ranking dignitaries from Montenegro such as the President, Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Defense to each of the three countries. Since Montenegro is in process of accession negotiations for the EU membership, tasks imply a continuous and very active engagement with different state and NGO actors in these three countries. August 23, 2010 January 31, 2015: Ambassador, Head of the Mission of Montenegro to NATO NATO membership is one of the strategic foreign policy goals of the Montenegro Government. Montenegro is a member of ISAF in Afghanistan and an operational partner in the upcoming Resolute Support Mission. Therefore, diplomatic engagement in NATO is of primary importance for Montenegro. Duties include participation in ISAF and Resolute Support preparation meetings; various contacts with the representatives of NATO member states; engagement in the Membership Action Plan, the final phase that a candidate country should go through before getting an invitation for membership (once criteria are fulfilled). MAP consists of several yearly cycles. MAP was granted to Montenegro in 2009, and the first MAP cycle was launched in 2010. As a result of progress made, at the last NATO Summit in Wales the Alliance committed to reviewing the Montenegro progress by the end of 2015 in view to inviting Montenegro to join NATO. August 2009 present: Member of the State Negotiation Commission for resolving Territorial dispute with Croatia Montenegro has an unresolved issue on its southern border with its neighbor Croatia. In the aftermath of the SFR Yugoslav breakup, the Prevlaka peninsula became subject to a territorial dispute between Croatia and FR Yugoslavia, a federal state that included Montenegro. The UN Mission - UNMOP was established in February 1996 to take over from the UN Confidence Restoration Operation (UNCRO) the task of monitoring the demilitarization of the peninsula. The absence of major conflict in the region and the change in government in both Croatia and the FR of Yugoslavia in 2000 created more favorable conditions for progress on the Prevlaka issue. This led to the formation of a joint Interstate Diplomatic Commission tasked with resolving the outstanding border disputes between the two States. I was a member of the Commission which negotiated (for nearly three years) and signed the Protocol between the Federal Government of the FR of Yugoslavia and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on the Interim Regime along the Southern Border between the Two States, establishing a provisional cross-border regime on the Prevlaka peninsula (December 10, 2002). The Agreement also marked the end of the six years mandate of UNMOP. The territory has
functioned in a provisional regime since 2002, but Montenegro and Croatia are now looking for the final solution for this outstanding issue. The negotiations are under way. January 1, 2009 July 31, 2010 - MFA Montenegro, Political Director Political Director was the most senior position for career diplomat in the Ministry. Responsibility includes the key foreign policy priorities of Montenegro: the EU common foreign and security policy; the Montenegro accession to the EU (launching of the accession process); NATO, participation in ISAF, cooperation with Alliance; the regional cooperation. April 16, 2006 December 31, 2008 - Ambassador of Montenegro to Austria The first Ambassador of Montenegro after the country regained independence in 2006. I led the establishment of the Embassy in Vienna and made it operational within six months. In parallel, I managed the existing political and economic relations between Austria and Montenegro in light of the new diplomatic and political environment created by the Montenegrin independence. Jun 21, 2006 December 31, 2008 - Ambassador of Montenegro to the OSCE and other International organizations in Vienna The OSCE was the first international organization that Montenegro joined after independence on 22nd June 2006. The new Mission of Montenegro to the OSCE was created on 29th June. As the inaugural Ambassador, I negotiated mandate of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro which was established in July 2006. As was the case with the new Montenegrin Embassy in Vienna, the tasks and responsibilities included setting up a completely new Mission, staffing and making it operational within several months. January 2004 Jun 3, 2006: Ambassador of Serbia and Montenegro to the OSCE and other International Organizations in Vienna Head of Mission at the sensitive political time for Serbia and Montenegro. Two constituencies of the Federation (Serbia and Montenegro) had different views on many regional and European issues (status of Kosovo, cooperation with NATO, regional cooperation). Finally, they had two divergent views on whether Montenegro should be independent. As the Ambassador, I had an almost impossible task to represent sometimes conflicting positions of the constituencies in a loose Federation. During that period Montenegro was about to organize the referendum on independence. The OSCE, as the watchdog of democratic standards in the whole Europe, was authorized along with the EU to monitor the referendum and give an assessment whether it met international democratic standards. I was fully involved in the process preceding the referendum as well as in the set of measures and activities subsequent to the referendum.
January 2002 January 2004: MFA Montenegro, Assistant Minister for Multilateral affairs Responsibility includes: UN system, OSCE and other European and regional international organizations May 2000 2002: MFA Montenegro; Section for European regional integrations, Counselor Head of Section March 2000 Joined the newly established diplomatic service of Montenegro (Moved from Federal Service in Belgrade to Montenegro) 1998 March 2000: Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs - the OSCE and Council of Europe Department; First Secretary Counselor A member of the team dealing with the Kosovo Verification Mission that was established as a result of an agreement between President of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic and the US special envoy for the Balkans Richard Holbrook. The work of Mission was of crucial importance for peace and reconciliation process in Kosovo. 1993 1998: Yugoslav Embassy in Vienna; Third Secretary; Member of the Yugoslav Mission to the UN, Diplomat in the Consular Department of the Yugoslav Embassy Given my background in journalism, I was in charge of making contacts with foreign correspondents covering events in the former Yugoslavia. This includes correspondents from the American press and electronic media as well as Austrian, Spanish, and German correspondents. The position in Embassy allowed me to get in contact with representatives of various international charity organizations, NGOs, and academicians interested in Yugoslav crises etc. 1990-1993: MFA Yugoslavia - Information Department, Attaché 1988-1990: Daily newspaper "Borba", Journalist; Daily "Borba" was, at that time, the only opposition media to Milosevic regime in Yugoslavia. Daily was promoting civil rights and democracy and strongly stood up against nationalistic politics which was dominant in Yugoslavia. Many of my reports, interviews, and columns were published in this newspaper between 1989 and 1990.
Education and Qualification: 1983-1988: Belgrade University: BA - Political sciences 1990-1991: Diplomatic Academy - MFA of SFR Yugoslavia Program of this specialized school of diplomacy was focused on the history of diplomacy, international affairs, multilateral and bilateral diplomacy, international organizations and security policy. Other specialized courses: August 2004: Study visit to USA ("International visitor program" individual The program, the US Department of State); July 2000: "The Summer Academy on OSCE" Stadtschlaining, Austria; Four weeks specialized program about the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (the OSCE), the European security and regional Cooperation Specialization in diplomacy: The European Security Policy; South East Europe; International organizations: NATO, the OSCE, the EU, the EU enlargement policy Languages: English and Russian; German - fair Participation at official International Diplomatic Events and Conferences (only summits and ministerial conferences): The NATO Summits: Lisbon (2010), Chicago (2012) and Wales (20014) (participated as the Ambassador to NATO). All the NATO ministerial meetings between 2009. and 2016. The 55th and 56th UN General Assembly Sessions 2001/2002 (a member of Montenegro delegation); The OSCE Ministerial Conferences: the Netherlands (2003), Bulgaria (2004), Slovenia (2005), Belgium (2006), Spain (2007), Finland (2008) (participated as the Ambassador to the OSCE); The first Afghanistan Conference - London (2010), the second Afghanistan Conference Kabul (2010) and International Afghanistan Conference, Bonn (2011) (participated as a Political Director in the Ministry London and Kabul, or as an Ambassador to NATO Bonn) Participation at International Security Conferences and seminars: Munich Security Conference: 2011 (participant) Brussels Forum: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2103, 2014, 2015 (participant) Halifax Security Forum: 2009, 2010 (participant)
Centre for Strategic Decision Research 28th International Global Workshop on Security "The Risk of Strategic Surprise", 16-18 June 2011, Paris, (participant) Panelist at many international conferences and seminars about European security, security of South East Europe or Western Balkans organized by respective Ministries, think tank organizations and NGOs. Media interviews and publications: My interviews, statements or announcements are broadcasted or published in almost all Montenegrin media outlets. I was interviewed or quoted by numerous internationally renowned media outlets. This includes BBC, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, Voice of America, The Polish Public TV 1, Austrian, Slovakian, Belgian media etc. Between 2008-2016, I've delivered a number of public lectures at Montenegrin Universities and the Diplomatic school. Subjects: NATO, Security policy, regional cooperation, international organizations etc. Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH) Yearbook 2007 - Montenegro and the OSCE Specialized columns published in Montenegrin press, such as: "Neutrality versus NATO membership, what is better for Montenegro", "The role of small states in international affairs today", "Why regional cooperation matters so much" etc. Miscellaneous Honorary citizen of Texas, USA 2002-2004. - Managing Director of "The Regional Underwater Demining Center" in Bijela, Montenegro. The Center is a Center of Excellence within the demining network in South-East Europe 2009 2011: Member of Managing Board of the Montenegrin daily "Pobjeda"