Former Yugoslav state leader and diplomat Raif Dizdarevic dies at 100

Born on December 9, 1926, in Fojnica, Dizdarevic joined the National Liberation Struggle in 1943 and became a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia in 1945. He began his career in state security agencies, working in the Department for Protection of the People (OZNA) and the State Security Administration (UDBA) before transitioning to the diplomatic service of the Federative People's Republic of Yugoslavia in 1951.

During his extensive diplomatic career, Dizdarevic served in embassies across Bulgaria, the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia, and became Assistant Federal Secretary for Foreign Affairs in 1972. He later served as President of the Presidency of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1978 to 1982, and President of the Assembly of the SFRY from 1982 to 1984.

From 1984 to 1987, he held the position of Federal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, subsequently joining the Presidency of the SFRY, where he served as its president from May 15, 1988, to May 15, 1989. Following his retirement from active politics, he resided in Sarajevo and authored memoir works including "From the Death of Tito to the Death of Yugoslavia" and "Times to Remember".