He became a candidate member of the Soviet Politburo in 1978 and a full member in 1985. In the same year Shevardnadze was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs under Mikhail Gorbachev, a position he retained until his resignation in 1990. While in office, Shevardnadze supported Gorbachev’s commitment to détente and played a key role in arms control negotiations with the West. In 1992 Shevardnadze was elected head of state of his native Georgia, following the toppling of President Zviad Gamsakhurdia (1939–94). He was re-elected in 1995 and 2000, but deposed in the Rose Revolution (2003).