Ambassador

ambasador vekic

H.E. BERISLAV VEKIĆ
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of the Republic of Serbia to the Czech Republic

Dr. Berislav Vekić is a surgeon, full professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, and head of the Department of Specialist and Doctoral Studies at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, as well as a visiting professor at the Department of Surgery at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade. In addition to a Ph.D. in medical sciences, he has also completed master’s studies in healthcare management.

Prof. Dr. Vekić served as State Secretary in the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia from 2013 to 2021. From 2012 to 2013, he held the position of Assistant Minister for European Integration and International Cooperation in the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia.

Over the past nine years, he has been a member of numerous important government bodies and commissions. Some of the most significant include:

  • Coordinator of the negotiating team for amending the Special Collective Agreement for healthcare institutions founded by the Republic of Serbia (2014-2021);

  • Member of the Working Body for the Fight Against Corruption in the Healthcare System of the Republic of Serbia (2014-2021);

  • Deputy member representing the Government of the Republic of Serbia in the Socio-Economic Council of the Republic of Serbia (2014-2021);

  • Member of the Working Group for the project "Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings and Renewable Energy Sources in the District Heating Sector," aimed at rehabilitating the Military Medical Academy (VMA) Hospital in Belgrade (2021);

  • Member of the Public Administration Reform Council Working Group (2016-2021);

  • Member of the Coordinating Body for Implementation of the Action Plan for Chapter 23: Justice and Fundamental Rights (2020);

  • Chairman of the Government Working Group for Improving the Financing of Institutes and Public Health Institutions (2020);

  • Chairman of the Government Working Group for Coordination and Assessment of the Needs of Public Microbiological Laboratories Conducting SARS-CoV-2 Testing (2020);

  • Member of the Serbian Delegation for negotiations with the European Investment Bank on approving loans for the Clinical Centers Project in Serbia (2019);

  • Chairman of the Working Group for drafting amendments to the Rulebook on Specializations and Subspecializations at the Ministry of Health (2019);

  • Chairman of the Special Working Group for drafting the Regulation on the Network Plan of Healthcare Institutions (2019);

  • Deputy Chairman of the Government Commission for Combating HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (2019);

  • Head of the Republic Operational Staff for Emergency and Organized Response in the Event of a Pandemic or Epidemic of Infectious Diseases of Great Epidemiological Significance (2019);

  • Member of the Project Group for the Development of the Protection and Rescue Plan of the Republic of Serbia and the Disaster Risk Register (2019);

  • Chairman of the Working Group for the Transformation of Healthcare Institutions in the Network Plan on the Territory of AP Kosovo and Metohija (2017);

  • Member of the Working Group for Quality Control in Healthcare Institutions within the Network Plan of the Republic of Serbia (October 2016);

  • Member of the Council for Monitoring the Implementation of United Nations Human Rights Mechanism Recommendations (February 2015);

  • Manager responsible for the implementation and development of the Financial Management and Control System in the Ministry of Health (February 2015);

  • Member of the Council of the Coordinating Body for Serbia’s EU Accession Process (2015).

Since 1991, Prof. Dr. Berislav Vekić has worked at the Surgical Clinic of the University Clinical Center “Dr Dragiša Mišović.” He is a subspecialist in digestive surgery and hyperbaric medicine. From 2001 to 2012, he held managerial positions in several surgical departments at the University Clinical Center “Dr Dragiša Mišović.” He introduced several new surgical procedures for treating benign and malignant anorectal diseases. In addition to his deep interest in colorectal surgery, he has demonstrated significant knowledge and expertise in liver surgery and laparoscopic surgery. After passing his specialist exam, Prof. Dr. Berislav Vekić continued his professional development, completing the European School for Laparoscopic Surgery in Moscow in 1996 and the Yugoslav School for Endoscopic Surgery in 1998. He has also acquired new professional knowledge at numerous foreign universities and clinics: Clinic of Surgery, Yekaterinburg, Russia; Research Center of Surgery Department of Endoscopic Surgery, Moscow, Russia; Vinzenz-Pallotti Hospital, Bensberg, Germany; University School of Medicine, Cologne, Germany; Krankenhaus Barmherzige Brüder, Vienna, Austria; University Surgical Clinic in Rijeka, Croatia; Endo-Surgery Institute, Cincinnati, USA; Privatklinik Döbling, Vienna, Austria.

He is the author and co-author of over 200 studies and scientific papers, as well as several chapters in medical textbooks. His most significant books include: The Importance of Lymphadenectomy in the Surgical Treatment of Rectal Cancer (2000), Stapled Colorectal Anastomoses (2011), History of Colorectal Surgery (2011), Functional Anatomy of Man (2013). He authored the chapter Historical Development of Colon and Rectal Cancer Surgery in the book Rectal Cancer, which received the Belgrade City Award for Medical Sciences in 2012. He co-authored the Surgery textbook for dental students at the Faculty of Dentistry in Pančevo. He authored the chapter Secondary Tumors of the Adrenal Gland in the book Adrenal Gland Surgery (2019). He co-authored the manual on medical waste management Recommendations for Medical Waste Management (2013), published by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia and funded by the European Union. He also authored the chapter Assessment of Bleeding Risk for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Interventions in the Pharmacotherapeutic Manual for Dentists published by the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac (2021). He won first prize at the XII Central European Coloproctology Congress in 2008 in Moscow for his paper: Liver Resection and Radiofrequency Ablation as Treatment for Multiple Liver Metastases from Colorectal Cancer.

He is a recipient of the Captain Miša Anastasijević Charter for his contribution to the improvement of healthcare in the region (2016).

Dr. Berislav Vekić is a member of the Serbian Medical Society (SLD), member of the Presidency of the Serbian Coloproctology Society, member of the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP), member of the International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ISUCRS), and member of the International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists (IASGO).

He speaks English. He is married and the father of two children.