Aleksandar Nikolić - Chairman BoG
Aleksandar Nikolić was born in Belgrade on July 30, 1965. He is an economist with respectable experience as a successful entrepreneur and a graduate from the Advanced Security and Defence Studies at the Defence University in Belgrade.
He is the East West Bridge Board of Governors Chairman, Serbian Trilateral Commission National Group Secretary-General and member of the Trilateral Commission from 2015 to 2018. He was a member of the Organizing Committee for the 38th European Session of the Trilateral Commission held in Belgrade 2014.
Aleksandar started political career in 2008 as one of the founders of the SNS (Serbian Progressive Party) and a member of the SNS Presidium.
In June 2012 he was appointed Advisor to the President of the Republic of Serbia, after which he successfully served as the First Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence in charge of coordinating security services.
From 2014 to 2017 he has served as the First Secretary of State in the Ministry of Interior.
Aleksandar was the President of the Negotiating Group on Chapter 24 "Justice, Freedom and Security" in the process of Serbia's accession to the European Union and the member of the Working Group on Serbian OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office activities in which coordinates issues relevant to Internal Affairs. He was also the President of the Working Group on developing the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism and its related Action Plan and the member of the Political Council for implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325 "Women, Peace and Security".
Aleksandar speaks English. He is married, devoted family man and father of three children.
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Paul Révay
Paul Révay is a member of the Board of Trustees of Friends of Europe, a “Think and Do Tank” in Brussels after having served the Trilateral Commission as its European Director from 1981 to 2017.
He was actively engaged from 1996 to 2017 with the Lisbon-based Fundaçao Oriente organizing its annual Arrabida Meetings.
In 1994-2000, he coordinated the “Informal Advisory Group” set up in Geneva by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
In 1978 he joined the Foreign Trade Board of the French Government (CFCE) involved, as senior research officer, in assisting French exporting companies to the (then) centrally-planned economies of the COMECON countries and was appointed desk manager for Yugoslavia-Albania-China.
In 1995-1996, he participated in European Union TACIS projects on technical assistance (institution-building) to the Executive Secretariat and to the Inter-State Economic Committee (MEK) of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Minsk and in Moscow.
Between 1980 and 1996, he was secretary general of the French Committee of the East-West Vienna International Council and, in 1994-1996, a member and treasurer of the French Business Association for the World UN Social Summit (BUSCO) as well as in 1989-92 secretary general of an East-West project on creating a Management Institute for Training in Europe (MITIE).
After his secondary education in the United Kingdom and in Switzerland, he graduated in from Sciences-Po Paris, the Institut d’Études Politiques, and the Faculty of Law of the University of Paris II. A Reserve Officer in the French Air Force, he attended the Senior Executive Seminar of the Aspen Institute in Colorado in the summer of 1984, and contributed to Le Dictionnaire des Premiers Ministres et Présidents du Conseil de la France (1815-2002) on Robert Schuman (Editions Perrin, Paris, 2002).
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David Vuich
David Vuich has spent his career advising clients and top-level government officials in both Congress and the Executive Branch spanning the Carter through the Bush Administrations. Mr. Vuich has compiled over 30 years of experience in defense, aerospace, security, energy, and transportation-related industries and has held key executive positions with several leading U.S. and international firms. He was a member of the legendary Apollo Spacecraft Launch Team.
As a professional staff member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Defense and Military Construction, Mr. Vuich acted as the principal advisor to the Committee Chairman, on funding for military equipment and services for the Department of Defense. He has been a successful consultant representing aerospace, environment, energy transportation and security issues to include research support to key congressional committees.
Vuich is the co-founder and Chief Development Officer of American Military Housing Services, Inc., He has been recently appointed as Co-Chairman of the HUD/Veterans Administration Task Force. He serves as a member of several Boards in Washington D.C., including the National Press Club, We Will Survive Cancer, Summer Opera Theatre, Opera Cameratta of DC, the US -Serbia Business Council, and the Honorary Chairman of the Tesla Science Foundation.
David is also the Advisory Board President of the U.S. Serbian independent, non-partisan SAVA Political Action Committee which is rallying to raise funds to financially support and elect candidates to federal office whose vision, views, and values are aligned with those of the Serbian-American community. This is the first successful attempt in more than 160 years to rally some 1.2 million Serbian-Americans to finally have a strong and united voice in shaping the major decisions in the federal government.
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Prof Dr Ljubiša Rakić
IN MEMORIAM 1931-2022
Ljubiša Rakić, Vice-President of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, is a leading scientist in the field of the central nervous system and primarily of neurological basis of behavior. He is also an Honorary Member of the Serbian National Group of the Trilateral Commission.
Academician Rakic is a member of a great number of scientific societies and academies in former Yugoslavia, member of Serbian Academy of Science and Art since 1974, Montenegrin Academy of Science and Art, Academy of Science and Art of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Academy of Science and Art of Kosovo and abroad - foreign member of Academy of Science of the former Soviet Union – nowadays Russian Academy of Science, New York Academy of Science, Eurasian Academy of Science, European Academy of Sciences, Art and Literature seated in Paris, of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, headquartered in Salzburg, Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republic of Srpskа, UNESCO’s International Brain Research Organization, Royal Medical Society, London, International societies for physiology, biochemistry, neurological sciences, neurochemistry, biological psychiatry, neuropharmacology and developmental neurology, etc. He is an honorary member of Society of physiologists and biochemist of former Soviet Union and British Society for Brain and Behavioral Research.
As invited speaker he attended many international congresses of physiology, biochemistry, neurochemistry, neurology and developmental neurological sciences. He held numerous lectures as invited speaker at the universities and scientific institutes in former Soviet Union, USA, Great Britain, France, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, Germany, Egypt, Israel, Libya, Albania, including all universities in former Yugoslavia. He published over 500 papers in extenso (two thirds in international scientific journals), 6 monographs abroad, 3 in the country, and he was co-author in five textbooks. As a member of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Art during more than 38 years, he participated in many research projects and in organization of scientific meetings and he is the president of the Board for Biomedical Research. He was also the president of Joint Committee for cooperation between Council of Academy of Science and Art of former Yugoslavia and National Academy of Science of USA.
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Tahir Hasanović
Member of the Trilateral Commission and
Executive Secretary of the Serbian National Group of the Trilateral Commission.
Tahir did an outstanding job of Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the
landmark, 38th European Session of the Trilateral Commission held in Belgrade,
Oct 31 to Nov 2, 2014.
In his decades long political career which included some top posts, Tahir
Hasanovic has earned himself a reputation of a constructive, moderate and
liberal politician, eager to mend bridges where others tear them down. Tahir was
one of the founders of New Democracy which evolved later into the Liberal party
and was its first Secretary General. He also held a vital post of Chairman of
the Cadre Commission of the DOS alliance of anti-Milosevic parties, which gave
Serbia the first authentic democratic government led by the later assassinated
Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. He founded in the early 90ties the Bureau for
Serbia’s International Cooperation, one of the first NGOs to openly advocate
Serbia’s inclusion into Europe at the time. Retired from active politics, Tahir
today splits his time between his family: wife and two daughters, his
philanthropic work and his duties as member of board of governors or
shareholders in a score of Serbian and international companies. He is very
active in promoting a liberal and tolerant image of Serbia in the world and
travels extensively for that purpose. He has also published over 20 books,
including studies about Albania, Turkey etc. He wrote " Evropa 1992", which at
the time was the first reference book in Serbia about Europe after
Maastricht.
Tahir is one of only two people in the Balkans to have graduated from the
Dale Carnegie Leadership and Human Relations principal course in St Louis and is
now a bona fide Dale Carnegie Coach. He is now successfully teaching others the
human relations skills, confidence and enthusiasm, so badly needed in this part
of the world.
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Vladimír Dlouhy
Vladimír Dlouhy is currently international advisor for Goldman Sachs, located in Prague and covering the region of Central and Eastern Europe, and Chairman of the Czech Chamber of Commerce. He was also European Deputy Chairman of the Trilateral Commission.
Vladimir studied mathematical economics and econometrics at the School of Economics and at Charles University in Prague and later pursued MBA studies at Catholic University in Leuven (Belgium). Mr. Dlouhy started his professional career as university lecturer, and in 1983 he moved to the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences as a researcher, later becoming deputy director of the Forecasting Institute. In 1989, he was invited to join the first post-communist government, and he served as minister of economy of Czechoslovakia until 1992.
After the split of the country, he served as Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic until June 1997. He was simultaneously a member of the Parliament and Vice-Chairman of Civic Democratic Alliance, part of the governing coalition. In 1997, he announced his departure from politics and joined Goldman Sachs as an international advisor for Central and Eastern Europe. Between 1997 and 2010, he advised ABB in a similar capacity.
Vladimir Dlouhy also holds the following positions: chairman of the Advisory Board, Chayton Capital, London, UK; non-executive director, KSK Power Ventur, Hyderabad, India; chairman of the Advisory Board, Meridiam Infrastructure, Paris, France; associate professor of macroeconomics and economic policy at Charles University, Prague; member of the Scientific Board, Faculty of Economics and Public Administration, School of Economics, Prague; and member of the Board of Overseers, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. He is the author of numerous publications.
Vladimir Dlouhy was elected European deputy chairman of the Trilateral Commission in 2010.
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Ambassador, Sir Ivor Roberts
President of Trinity College Oxford, and retired U.K. Ambassador, Sir Ivor was born in 1946 in Liverpool,educated at St. Mary's College, Crosby and at Keble College, Oxford (Open Gomm Scholar). He graduated in Modern Languages in 1968 and took his MA in 1972.
He entered the Diplomatic Service in 1968 and served in Lebanon, Paris, Luxembourg, Canberra, Vanuatu, Madrid, Belgrade, Dublin and Rome. He moved from Eastern European and Soviet Department (Balkans desk), then to Western European Department (German desk) and subsequently in European Integration Department, where he worked on the European Community's Common Agricultural Policy and the European Parliament.
From January 1998 to February 1999 he was on a sabbatical as a Senior Associate Member of St. Antony's College, Oxford, writing and lecturing on his experiences in Yugoslavia. He retired from the Diplomatic Service in September 2006 on his election as the President of Trinity College. Sir Ivor is the editor of the sixth edition of Satow's Diplomatic Practice, a classic work first published 90 years ago. This is the first edition in 30 years, comprehensively expanded to accommodate the reality - that the world and diplomacy have changed almost beyond recognition -and it has already become a must read for any one even remotely connected to diplomacy or international politics.
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Howard Graff
IN MEMORIAM 1941-2019
Howard L. Graff has had a several-decades long distinguished career in commercial finance and insurance. His expertise sought after, Howard has lectured across Europe, Asia, North and South America. Published by numerous chambers of commerce worldwide, he has written scores of articles concerning cash flow.
Howard's involvement facilitating international fraternal relations and helping cultivate the growth of youth organizations, such as DeMolay International, has earned him international recognition. He has been honored internationally for creating and raising significant amounts of money for charities that benefit both youth and senior citizens, and for his work in the ecumenical movement. An individual dedicated to family, he is married with two grown children and a granddaughter. As he proudly points out, Howard is a long-time resident of a Chicago suburb, Skokie, Illinois, USA. where he has served as a Village Commissioner.
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President Petar Stoyanov
President of the Republic of Bulgaria 1997-2002, Petar is President of the Center for Global Dialogue and Cooperation. He won the 1996 presidential election as a candidate of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF).
From 1992 to 1993 Mr. Stoyanov was Deputy Minister of
Justice in the first non-communist (UDF) government of Bulgaria since
1944.
In 1994, as the holder of a doctorate in law, he was elected
as a member of the 37th National Assembly in Bulgaria and in 1995 he
was elected Deputy Chairman of the UDF. Petar Stoyanov is an active and
passionate promoter of democracy and European ideals.
In 2002 he founded the “Petar Stoyanov Centre for Political
Dialogue” in Sofia. He is member of several different international
associations, e.g the Clinton’s Global Initiative, the Board of Global
Fairness Initiative, the Judging Committee of the European Business
Awards, the International Advisory Board of the American Bar
Association, Honorary co-chair of the World Justice Project and is a
member of the European Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission.
Additionally, he has been the winner of numerous awards like the
Anti-Defamation League’s Courage to Care Award, the Annual Award of the
Association of the Russian Lawyers, etc.
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H.R.H. Princess Elisabeth
Princess Elizabeth is the daughter of Prince Paul, the Prince Regent of Yugoslavia and Princess Olga of Greece. She is second cousin to the Prince of Wales, Queen Sophie of Spain and the great great granddaughter of Karageorge, a near-mythic hero who started the first uprising against the Turks in 1804. On her mother’s side she descends from Empress Catherine the Great of Russia.
Banished at an early age from Yugoslavia to Kenya with her parents and two brothers, they all lived under British house arrest for three years. From there they went to South Africa for five more years before finally returning to Europe in search of a new home, first to Greece and then Switzerland and Paris. Three marriages, three children, several continents and half a century later she finally returned to Yugoslavia in 1987, the first member of her family to do so since the war despite a communist national law forbidding entry to anyone of the dynasty. From then on, having re-learned her native language, she defied the ban regularly and engaged herself fully to education, publishing and charity work. She published a book in 1990 called “Prince Paul, Britain’s much Maligned Friend”.
Next she created a non-political, not for profit Foundation at end of 1990 called the “Princess Elizabeth Foundation” to address the brewing inter-ethnic tension.
Every year she organized fund raisers in New York and accompanied shipments of medicines and medical supplies back home. In 2000 in Belgrade she formed a new foundation called ‘Serbian Foundation’ which is dedicated to promoting young and talented artists from Serbia. A regular resident of Belgrade since 2002. She has written four children’s books and has had 100 book promotions during four years across Serbia. At each event, part of the proceeds goes to the local hospital or kindergarten or playground.
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Aleksandar Simić
Aleksandar Simic, composer and humanist, was born in Belgrade, in 1973. He spent most of his youth shifting between different cultures and continents, from London to Singapore, from St. Petersburg to New York. Half-way through med school he switched to study music and quickly established himself among leading composers of his generation. In his large and versatile opus that encompasses concert, spiritual, world and film music, a special place is reserved for compositions that were used to mark important jubilees such as 50 years of victory in WW II (for the Russian Federation), or 950 years of the East-West split (for the Vatican).
Although he wove his liberal political views and humanism into his music, Aleksandar has been a spokesperson and an activist for some of the most important charity campaigns such as Helping the Blind, the Safe House program or Notes from the Heart. His made a contribution to the global inter-religious dialogue over the many years and in many different countries: be it as a part of the mediating team between the Vatican and the State of Israel, or as a part of the Pave the Way Foundation from New York, to name a few. He was a part time lecturer at the Faculty of Political Sciences teaching Political Philosophy. He is presently assisting the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Special Prosecutors Office for War Crimes in the program called The Last Hope.
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