opening up the country to foreign investments. He reportedly talked with Ronald Reagan several times in the early 1980s about the possibility of introducing multi-party democracy and market economy reforms in Yugoslavia. Despite this, the economic reform commission chaired by Vrhovec from 1985 to 1986 made little mention of democratization. After serving a full four-year term, Vrhovec was appointed to the post of chairman of the League of Communists of Croatia, and from May 1984 to May 1989 he represented SR Croatia in the 9-member Presidency of Yugoslavia, a collective body functioning as head of state. In the latter half of the 1980s Vrhovec was one of the first Yugoslav politicians who were openly opposed to Slobodan Milošević's nationalist policies, at the time when Milošević's rise to power began. He was also one of the key people involved in the organisation of the 1987 Summer Universiade, the biggest sporting event hosted by Zagreb. After his term ended, Vrhovec effectively retired from politics. Vrhovec died at the Sisters of Charity Hospital in Zagreb on 15 February 2006 and was buried at Mirogoj Cemetery in Zagreb on 21 February 2006. References External links Umro Josip Vrhovec, posljednji Titov ministar vanjskih poslova 1926 births 2006 deaths Politicians from Zagreb Yugoslav Partisans members Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb alumni League of Communists of Croatia politicians Government ministers of Yugoslavia Burials at Mirogoj Cemetery Central Committee of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia members Presidency of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia members Foreign ministers of Yugoslavia Vjesnik editors