Soviet and Georgian politician Eduard Shevardnadze joined the Communist Party as a young man. He advanced through the party ranks to become the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Georgia. In 1976, Shevardnadze was appointed to the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and two years later, was named to the Soviet Politburo. In 1985, he became Foreign Minister. For five years Shevardnadze, together with Mikhail Gorbachev, led the Soviet Union foreign policy that ended the Cold War. In 1990, he resigned as Foreign Minister, stating that a right-wing coup was threatening the country. Shevardnadze became the Prime Minister of Georgia, after it achieved its independence.