BELGRADE, Serbia 

Serbia's Vice President of the National Assembly, Muamer Zukorlic, died suddenly on Saturday from a heart attack. He was 51.

He was scheduled to give a lecture at the International University in Novi Pazar but fell ill immediately before the engagement.

Zukorlic was the leader of the Party of Justice and Reconciliation, a member of the Serbian Parliament and was the head of the Meshihat of the Islamic Community until 2016.

He is one of the founders of the Bosniak Academy of Sciences and Arts.

He was born Feb. 15, 1970, in the village of Orlje in Tutin municipality.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and President of the Assembly Ivica Dacic sent condolences to Zukorlic’s family.

"I was saddened by the news of the sudden death of Muamer Zukorlic, one of the rarely educated and honest politicians, whose personality I deeply respected even when our views diverged. With his death, the Assembly of Serbia lost a conscientious and zealous MP, and the political scene of our country lost its smart speaker,” said Vucic.

Dacic said that Zukorlic gave what he knew in an effort to make a better future for Serbians.

"Zukorlic invested his knowledge and energy for the benefit of tolerance and a better life for everyone in Serbia, he participated in our social life actively and with all his heart," he said.