Koča Popović
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Koča Popović (Коча Поповић) (March 14, 1908 - October 20, 1992) was a communist volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, 1937-1939. In 1939 he was interned in France.
He joined the Yugoslav Partisans in 1941 as an expelled party member and commanded various units (e.g. 1st Proletarian Brigade).
After the establishment of a communist regime in Yugoslavia in 1945, he served as the Chief of the Yugoslavian General Staff from 1946-1953. In this function he also conducted negotiations with the representatives of Western powers associated with the modernisation of the JNA during the conflict with the USSR (i.e. Informbiro).
Consequently, he became the foreign minister of Yugoslavia in 1953 and held this office until 1965. As the Foreign Minister, he was the head of the Yugoslav delegation to the UN General Assembly sessions on several occasions.
From 1965 until 1972 he acted as a Member of the Federal Executive Council and the Vice-President of Yugoslavia.
He was decorated with the Order: People's Hero of Yugoslavia, and with other high Yugoslav and foreign decorations.
