A great Yugoslav diplomat, world statesman has passed away

Yugoslav and Croatian diplomat Budimir Lončar died today in his native Prek on the island of Ugljan, reports the Hina agency, citing Croatian media.

Lončar was found dead in the sea in the afternoon, after which the eyewitnesses immediately called an ambulance and the police.

Lončar's death was confirmed on his Facebook profile by the historian Tvrtko Jakovina.

"Budimir Lončar, diplomat, partisan, world statesman, my friend, died today in Prek, the place where he was born on April 1, 1924," Jakovina wrote.

Who was Budimir Lončar?

Lončar was born on April 1, 1924 in Prek on the island of Ugljan, in the then Kingdom of SHS. He was active in politics and diplomacy for almost seven decades.

Lončar began his political career as a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia during World War II, after which he turned to diplomacy. From the mid-1950s, Lončar served in various diplomatic capacities within Yugoslavia, including the roles of ambassador and head of diplomatic missions in various countries.

He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the SFRY from 1987 to 1991, during the last years of Yugoslavia's existence.

Lončar was later an adviser to the President of Croatia, Stjepan Mesić, in two mandates, from 2000 to 2010, and to Ivo Josipović from 2010 to 2015.

Source: Al Jazeera