Budimir Loncar Croatian politician Date of Birth: 01.04.1924 Country: Croatia

1. Early Life and Education
2. Military Service and Activism
3. Career in Diplomacy
4. Ambassadorships and High-Ranking Posts
5. Minister of Foreign Affairs
6. Later Career and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Budimir Lončar was born on January 23, 1924, in Preko on the island of Ugljan, near Zadar.

Military Service and Activism

In 1941, Lončar joined the People's Liberation Army and actively participated in the partisan struggle. He became a member of the Communist Youth Union of Yugoslavia in 1943 and the Communist Party of Yugoslavia in 1945.

Career in Diplomacy

After the war, Lončar served in the army and later (from 1947-1949) in the organs of state security service. In January 1950, he was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lončar held various positions within the Ministry, including General Consul of the SFRY in New York and advisor to the Yugoslav Mission to the UN.

From 1956 to 1964, he headed the Analysis and Planning Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He subsequently led the department monitoring the activities of the emigration.

In 1965, Lončar became advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and later Ambassador of Yugoslavia to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore from 1965 to 1969.

Ambassadorships and High-Ranking Posts

From 1973 to 1977, Lončar served as Ambassador to West Germany. In 1977, he became Deputy Foreign Minister of the SFRY.

From 1979 to 1983, he was Ambassador to the United States and subsequently Deputy and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs until 1987.

Minister of Foreign Affairs

On December 31, 1987, Lončar became the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the SFRY, a position he held until December 12, 1991. He was considered a close associate of Prime Minister Ante Marković.

Later Career and Legacy

Lončar remained a strong advocate for the integrity of Yugoslavia until the end. During the collapse and war in Yugoslavia, he lived and worked in New York.

From 2000 to 2010, he served as advisor to Croatian President Stipe Mesić and later as Chairman of the Council for Foreign Policy and International Relations under President Ivo Josipović.

In 2015, the Croatian National Ethics Court condemned Lončar for his alleged "betrayal" of Croatian national interests.

Despite some controversy, Lončar is widely recognized as an influential diplomat and statesman who played a significant role in Yugoslav and Croatian foreign relations.