In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's

foreign policy Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...

and relations,

diplomacy Diplomacy is the communication by representatives of State (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, non-governmental institutions intended to influence events in the international syste ...

, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support, including consular services, for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entity is usually headed by a foreign minister or minister of foreign affairs (the title may vary, such as secretary of state who has the same functions). The foreign minister typically reports to the head of government (such as prime minister or president).

Difference in titles

In some nations, such as

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, the foreign minister is referred to as the minister for external affairs; or others, such as

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and the states created from the former

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, call the position the minister of external relations. In the United States, the secretary of state is the member of the Cabinet who handles foreign relations. Other common titles may include minister of foreign relations. In many countries of Latin America, the foreign minister is colloquially called "

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

" (''canciller'' in the Spanish-speaking countries and ''chanceler'' in the Portuguese-speaking Brazil). Diplomats, themselves, and historians often refer to the foreign ministry by its local address, for example, the

Ballhausplatz Ballhausplatz is a town square, square in central Vienna containing the building (with the address Ballhausplatz 2) that for over two hundred years has been the official residence of the most senior Austrian Cabinet Minister, the State Chancellor ...

in Vienna housed the

Foreign Ministry of Austria-Hungary The Imperial and Royal Foreign Ministry () was the ministry responsible for the foreign relations of the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire from the formation of the Dual Monarchy in 1867 until it was dissolved in 1918. History The history ...

; the Quai d'Orsay in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

for France's Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs; the

South Block The Secretariat Building or Central Secretariat houses the most important offices and ministries of the Government of India. Situated at Raisina Hill, New Delhi, the Secretariat buildings are two blocks of symmetrical buildings (North Block and ...

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

for India's Ministry of External Affairs; the

Necessidades Palace The Necessidades Palace () is a historic building in the Largo do Rilvas, a public square in Lisbon, Portugal. It serves as headquarters of the Portuguese Foreign Ministry. The palace has been classified as a Property of Public Interest since 19 ...

in Lisbon for Portugal's

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

; the

Wilhelmstraße Wilhelmstraße, or Wilhelmstrasse (see ß; ; ) is a major thoroughfare in the central Mitte and Kreuzberg districts of Berlin, Germany. Until 1945, it was recognised as the centre of the government, first of the Kingdom of Prussia, and lat ...

, in Berlin, was the location of the German Foreign Office; and

Foggy Bottom Foggy Bottom is a neighborhood of Washington, D.C., United States, located in the city's northwest quadrant. It stretches west of the White House towards the Potomac River, north of the National Mall, east of Georgetown, south of the West ...

, a neighborhood of Washington, D.C., houses the

Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs ...

. The Ministry of External Relations of Brazil is often referred as the "Itamaraty" due to the two homonymous palaces that served as its headquarters, the original one in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

(1899–1970) and the present Itamaraty Palace (since 1970) in

Brasília Brasília ( ; ) is the capital city, capital of Brazil and Federal District (Brazil), Federal District. Located in the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region, it was founded by President Juscelino ...

. Indonesians also often refer to their

as "Pejambon", since the ministry's main headquarters is located at Pejambon Street,

Central Jakarta Central Jakarta (, ), abbreviated as Jakpus, is one of the five Cities of Indonesia, administrative cities () and ''de facto'' Capital City of the Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta. It had 902,973 inhabitants according to the 2010 census ...

. During the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

, which lasted until 1917, the term used was the Choristers' Bridge in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

. In contrast, the Italian ministry was called the Consulta.David Stevenson, "The Diplomats" in Jay Winter, ed. ''The Cambridge History of the First World War: Volume II: The State'' (2014) vol 2 p 68.

Powers of position

A foreign minister's powers vary from government to government. In a classic

parliamentary system A parliamentary system, or parliamentary democracy, is a form of government where the head of government (chief executive) derives their Election, democratic legitimacy from their ability to command the support ("confidence") of a majority of t ...

, a foreign minister can potentially exert significant influence in forming

but when the government is dominated by a strong

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

, the foreign minister may be limited to playing a more marginal or subsidiary role in determining policy. Similarly, the political powers invested in the foreign minister are often more limited in presidential governments with a strong

executive branch The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...

. Since the end of World War II, it has been common for both the foreign minister and

defense minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

to be part of an inner cabinet (commonly known as a

national security council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a n ...

) in order to coordinate defense and diplomatic policy. Although the 19th and early 20th centuries saw many heads of government assume the foreign ministry, this practice has since become uncommon in most

developed nation A developed country, or advanced country, is a sovereign state that has a high quality of life, developed economy, and advanced technological infrastructure relative to other less industrialized nations. Most commonly, the criteria for eval ...

s. In some countries, the foreign minister is typically among the highest profiles of cabinet positions. For instance, in the US, its foreign minister is the first member of cabinet in line for the presidential line of succession (with the vice president, speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and president pro-tempore of the United States Senate ahead of the foreign minister). The UK's foreign secretary belongs to the four Great Offices of State (along with the prime minister, chancellor of the exchequer, and home secretary).

Responsibilities

Along with their political roles, foreign ministers are also traditionally responsible for many diplomatic duties, such as hosting foreign world leaders and going on state visits to other countries. The foreign minister is generally the most well-traveled member of any cabinet. * In the United Kingdom, the minister responsible for foreign policy (as well as the

British Overseas Territories The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, ...

) is the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development affairs (Foreign Secretary). Before 1968, the

secretary of state for foreign affairs Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs may refer to: * Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Spain) *Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (UK) The secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth and development affairs, also known as the fore ...

only handled relations with foreign (non-

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

) countries, while relations with Commonwealth countries and colonies were handled by the

secretary of state for Commonwealth affairs The secretary of state for commonwealth affairs was a British Cabinet minister responsible for dealing with the United Kingdom's relations with members of the Commonwealth of Nations (its former colonies). The minister's department was the Common ...

. For the same reason, in Commonwealth countries other than the United Kingdom, the ministers responsible for handling relations with both Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth countries were formerly usually designated ministers for external affairs. * In the United States, the secretary of state handles foreign policy and is the senior Cabinet officer. The name of the post comes from several domestic duties. Under the

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation, officially the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement and early body of law in the Thirteen Colonies, which served as the nation's first Constitution, frame of government during the Ameri ...

, the title was "Secretary of Foreign Affairs". Although it is very rare for there to be any sub-national foreign minister post, sometimes there is a minor external relations position. The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

has dealt with external relations in certain areas since its inception (see EU Trade Commissioner) and has a high representative as its chief diplomat. However, his or her duties are primarily to implement EU foreign policy, rather than formulate it.

Lists of current ministries of foreign affairs

Named "ministry"

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Afghanistan) *

Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (Albania) The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs () is a department of the Council of Ministers (Albania), Albanian Government, in charge of diplomacy, foreign policy and the process of Accession of Albania to the European Union, admission of Albania ...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Algeria) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs () is the Government of Algeria, Algerian government Ministry (government department), ministry which oversees the Foreign policy, foreign relations of Algeria. Its head office is in El Mouradia, Algiers Province. ...

* Ministry of External Affairs (Andorra) * Ministry of External Relations (Angola) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship (Argentina) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Armenia) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Austria) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Azerbaijan) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (The Bahamas) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bahrain) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bangladesh) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and International Business (Barbados) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (, BGN/PCGN: ''Ministerstva zamiežnykh spraú Respubliki Bielarus’''; , BGN/PCGN: ''Ministerstvo inostrannyh del Respubliki Belarus’'') is the Belarusian government ministry whi ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belize) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (Benin) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bhutan) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bolivia) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bosnia and Herzegovina) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Botswana) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Brazil) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE; ; literally: ''Ministry of External Relations'') conducts Brazil's foreign relations with other countries. It is commonly referred to in Brazilian media and diplomatic jargon as Itamaraty, after the palace w ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Brunei) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bulgaria) *

Ministry of External Relations and International Cooperation (Burundi) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation () is the foreign ministry of the republic of Burundi Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Vall ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Cambodia) * Minister of Foreign Affairs (Cameroon) * Minister of Foreign Affairs (Central African Republic) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Chile) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (China) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Colombia) *

Minister of Foreign Affairs (Republic of the Congo) Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Congo () (known as the People's Republic of the Congo in 1969–92) is a Minister (government), government minister in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Congo, resp ...

* Minister of Foreign Affairs (Ivory Coast) * Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (Croatia) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cuba) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Czech Republic) * Minister of Foreign Affairs (Democratic Republic of the Congo) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Denmark) * Ministry of External Relations (Dominican Republic) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Egypt) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt () is the Egyptian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Egypt. On 3 July 2024 Badr Abdelatty was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. History Early histo ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Equatorial Guinea) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Eritrea) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Estonia) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ethiopia) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs () is the Government of Ethiopia, Ethiopian government Ministry (government department), ministry which oversees the Foreign relations of Ethiopia, foreign relations of Ethiopia. The current ministry was establis ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (Fiji) *

Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Finland) The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) is a ministry in the Finnish Government and is responsible for preparing and implementing the government's foreign policy. Organisation The ministry in 2017 has a total budget of 1.079 billion euros, of ...

* Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (France) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia * Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Ghana) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Greece) The Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs () is a ministry (government department), government department of Greece, headed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Greece), Minister for Foreign Affairs. The ministry has its headquarters in Athen ...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Guatemala) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (, MINEX) of Guatemala is the executive office in charge of conducting the international relations of the country. This ministry can give the Guatemalan nationality, enforces the immigration laws of the country, p ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Guyana) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Haiti) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Hungary) * Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Iceland) *

Ministry of External Affairs (India) The Ministry of External Affairs (abbreviated as MEA; ISO 15919, ISO: ) is India's Ministry of foreign affairs, foreign ministry. The ministry is tasked with formulating and implementing Indian foreign policy, India's foreign policy and repres ...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Indonesia) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia () or commonly known by its abbreviation Kemlu, is an Indonesian government ministry responsible for Indonesia, the country's foreign politics and diplomacy. The ministry was formerly ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iran) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iraq) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel) The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (; ) is one of the most important ministries in the Israeli government. The ministry's role is to implement Israel's foreign policy, and promote economic, cultural, and scientific relations with other co ...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italy) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation ( or ''MAECI'') is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreign ministry of the government of the Italian Republic. It is also known as the Farnesina as a metonym from its headquarters, th ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (Jamaica) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan) The is an Ministry of Japan, executive department of the Government of Japan, and is responsible for the country's foreign policy of Japan, foreign policy and international relations. The ministry was established by the second term of the thir ...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (Jordan) Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a Cabinet of Jordan, cabinet minister in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Jordan, responsible for conducting Foreign relations of Jordan, foreign relations of the countr ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kazakhstan) * Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs (Kenya) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (

Kiribati Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean. Its permanent population is over 119,000 as of the 2020 census, and more than half live on Tarawa. The st ...

) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (North Korea) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (South Korea) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kosovo) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kuwait) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kyrgyzstan) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Laos) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Latvia) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants (Lebanon) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations (Lesotho) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Liberia) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Lithuania) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania () is a governmental body of the Republic of Lithuania that shapes the national policy, and organises, coordinates, and controls its enforcement in the following areas: foreign affairs ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Luxembourg) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (North Macedonia) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Malaysia) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Maldives) * Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs (Malta) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mauritania) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the national ministry of foreign affairs of Mauritania. It has its headquarters in Nouakchott, just to the northwest of the Nouakchott Convention Center complex. List of ministers This is a list of ministers of ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Moldova) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mongolia) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Montenegro) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro () is the foreign-affairs ministry in the Government of Montenegro. Ministers of Foreign Affairs since 1879 Montenegrin monarchy Principality of Montenegro Kingdom of Montenegro Monten ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates (Morocco) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Myanmar) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Nepal) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA; ) is responsible for conducting Foreign relations of Nepal, external affairs of the Nepal. Ministry of Foreign Affairs represents other line ministries and the Government of Nepal while dealing with other s ...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (; BZ) is the Ministries of the Netherlands, Netherlands' ministry responsible for foreign relations of the Netherlands, foreign relations, foreign policy, international development, international trade, diaspora a ...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (New Zealand) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT; ) is the executive department of the Government of New Zealand charged with conducting the nation’s external relations, trade negotiations and international development programme. From its h ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and African Integration (Niger) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norway) The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( Norwegian or ''Utenriksdepartementet''; or ''Utanriksdepartementet''; UD) is the foreign ministry of the Kingdom of Norway. It was established on June 7, 1905, the same day the Parliament of ...

* Foreign Ministry (Oman) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Pakistan) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (, ''Wazarat-e-Kharja'', abbreviated as MoFA) is a Ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of Pakistan tasked in managing Pakistan's diplomatic and consular relations as well as its foreign po ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (Palestine) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Peru) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Poland) Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian mi ...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Portugal) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (, MNE), is the Portuguese governmental department responsible for the formulation, coordination, and execution of the foreign policy. The Ministry has its headquarters in the Necessidades Palace, Palácio das Nec ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Qatar) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Romania) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (MFA Russia; , МИД РФ) is the central government institution charged with leading the foreign policy and foreign relations of Russia. It is a continuation of the Ministry of Foreig ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (Rwanda) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Saint Kitts and Nevis) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Communities (São Tomé and Príncipe) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Saudi Arabia) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA; ''Wizārat al-Khārijīyah'') is the ministry responsible for handling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's external relations. The ministry oversees "political, cultural and financial international relations" ...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Serbia) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Serbia, Republic of Serbia () is the Ministry (government department), ministry in the government of Serbia which is in the charge of maintaining the consular affairs and foreign relations of Serbia. The cu ...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (Syria) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates () is a Cabinet of Syria, cabinet ministry of Syria, responsible for conducting Foreign relations of Syria, foreign relations of the country. The ministry oversees the expression of Syrian foreign polic ...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA; ) is a Executive Yuan, cabinet-level ministry of Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), and is responsible for the ROC's diplomacy and foreign relations of Taiwan, foreign relations. It is headqu ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Tajikistan) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation (Tanzania) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Thailand) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand ( Abrv: MFA; , ) is the principal governmental department in charge of foreign relations for Thailand. The ministry is headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is also a member of ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (Timor-Leste) * Minister of Foreign Affairs (Tonga) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Transnistria) This is a list of foreign ministers of Transnistria. {, class="wikitable sortable" ! !Image !Name !Took office !Left office , - , 1 , , Valeriy Litskai , 2000 , 2008 , - , 2 , , Vladimir Yastrebchak , 2008 , 2012 , - , 3 , , Nina Shtanski , ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Tunisia) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Turkey) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs () is the governmental body responsible for conducting foreign relations of the Turkey, Republic of Turkey. The Ministry is responsible for List of diplomatic missions of Turkey, Turkey's diplomatic missions abr ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Turkmenistan) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Uganda) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is a cabinet-level government ministry responsible for the implementation and management of Uganda's foreign policy and international activity. Location The headquarters of the ministry are located at 2 ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ukraine) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (United Arab Emirates) *

Ministry of Foreign Relations (Uruguay) The Ministry of Foreign Relations () is the Ministry (government department), ministry of the Politics of Uruguay, Government of Uruguay that is responsible for planning, directing and executing the foreign policy and international relations of ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Uzbekistan) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Vietnam) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is the central government institution charged with leading the foreign affairs of Vietnam. The current Foreign Minister is Bùi Thanh Sơn. According to Vietnamese law, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ...

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Yemen) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Zambia) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Zimbabwe)

Equivalents named "department"

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia) The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the department of the Australian government responsible for foreign policy and international relations, development aid (under the name Australian Aid), consular services, overseas trade ...

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Ireland) The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) () is a Department of State (Ireland), department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for promoting the interests of Ireland in the European Union and the wider world. The head of ...

* Department of External Relations (Monaco) * Department of Foreign Affairs (Philippines) * Department of International Relations and Cooperation (South Africa) * Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (Switzerland) *

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...

Other names

* Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs (Belgium) *

Global Affairs Canada Global Affairs Canada (GAC; ; AMC)''Global Affairs Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (). is the department of the Government of Canada that ...

European External Action Service The European External Action Service (EEAS) is the diplomatic service in charge of executing all Foreign relations of the European Union, international relations of the European Union. The EEAS is led by the Vice-President of the European Co ...

(European Union) *

Federal Foreign Office The Federal Foreign Office (, ; abbreviated AA) is the Foreign minister, foreign ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany, a federal agency (Germany), federal agency responsible for both the country's foreign policy and its relationship with ...

(Germany) *

Secretariat of State (Holy See) The Secretariat of State (Latin: ''Secretaria Status''; Italian: ''Segreteria di Stato'') is the oldest dicastery in the Roman Curia, the central papal governing bureaucracy of the Catholic Church. It is headed by the Cardinal Secretary of Sta ...

Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (Honduras) The Republic of Honduras is organized according to Title I: On the State of the Honduran Constitution of 1982. According to Title V: Branches of the Government, the three administrative branches are the Legislature, legislative, Executive (govern ...

* Office of the Commissioner (Hong Kong) * Office of the Commissioner (Macau) * Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (Mexico) *

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the ministry of foreign affairs and a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom. The office was created on 2 ...

(United Kingdom)

Historical

Named "ministry"

* Ministry of External Affairs and Defence (Ceylon) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Czechoslovakia) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czechoslovakia refers to the foreign affairs ministry which was responsible for representing internationally Czechoslovakia during its existence, from 1918 to 1992. List of ministers First Czechoslovak Republ ...

Foreign Ministry of the Independent State of Croatia Foreign Ministry of the Independent State of Croatia () was a ministry of the Government of the Independent State of Croatia established on a provision on 24 June 1941. This provision also contained determinations of activity of this ministry. M ...

* Ministry for Foreign Affairs (East Germany) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Hawaii) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ottoman Empire) * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Prussia) * Prussian Ministry of the Interior * Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Imperial Russia) *

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Soviet Union) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics () was founded on 6 July 1923. It had three names during its existence: People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs (1923–1946), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1946–1991) ...

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Yugoslavia) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Yugoslavia was the ministry responsible for representing the Kingdom of Yugoslavia internationally from 1918 to 1941 and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1992. It may also refer to the ...

Lists

List of current foreign ministers This is a list of current foreign ministers of the 193 United Nations member states as well as the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine. Foreign ministers of sovereign countries with limited recognition, some alternative governmen ...

* List of female foreign ministers

By year

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

References

External links

eDiplomat.com: Foreign Affairs Ministries
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Foreign Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United S ...

Diplomacy

Foreign Affairs ''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit organization, nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership or ...