Foreign minister

A Foreign Minister or Minister of Foreign Affairs is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations.

World contexts

Difference in titles

In some nations, such as India, the Foreign Minister is referred to as the Minister for External Affairs or, as in the case of Brazil and of the former Soviet Union, as the Minister of External Relations. In the United States the equivalent to the foreign ministry is called the Department of State, and the equivalent position is known as the Secretary of State. Other common titles may include minister of foreign relations. In many Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries in Latin America, the foreign minister is colloquially called canciller (chancellor).

Powers of position

A foreign minister's powers can vary from government to government. In a classic parliamentary system, a foreign minister can potentially exert significant influence in forming foreign policy but when the government is dominated by a strong prime minister 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. Since the end of World War II, it has been common for both the foreign minister and defense minister to be part of an inner cabinet (commonly known as a national security council) 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 nations.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (Russian MFA; Russian: Министерство иностранных дел Российской Федерации, 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 Foreign Affairs of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, which was under the supervision of the Soviet Ministry of External Relations. Sergey Lavrov is the current foreign minister.

Ministers of Foreign Affairs

Overseas schools

The ministry operates a network of overseas schools for children of Russian diplomats.

See also

In connection with the Moscow building that houses the Ministry's main office:

Maria Zakharova

Maria Zakharova (born December 24, 1975) is the Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation) from August 10, 2015. Candidate (PhD equivalent) in Historical Sciences.

Biography

Maria Zakharova was born December 24, 1975. Her parents were diplomats and she spent her childhood in Beijing, where the mother and father worked. In 1998 she graduated from the Faculty of International Journalism at MGIMO in the field of orientalism and journalism. Practice was held in the Russian embassy in Beijing.

From 2003 to 2005, she was the Head of the Department of Information and Press of the Ministry of Foregin Affairs of the Russian Federation. From 2005 to 2008, she was the press secretary of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations in New York. From 2008 to 2011, she was the Head of the Department of Information and Press of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Secretary of State

Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government.

In many countries, a Secretary of State is a mid-level post. It is usually a politically appointed position, although in some countries, such as Germany and Sweden, it can be filled by a member of the executive bureaucracy (civil service) as a political appointment. In the Holy See, there is one Secretary of State, who coordinates all the departments of the Roman Curia (that is, equivalent to a Prime Minister). In the United Kingdom a Secretary of State is a member of the Cabinet appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister (that is, equivalent to a Minister). In the Federal Government of the United States of America, there is one Secretary of State, the most senior political appointee responsible for foreign policy (that is, equivalent to a Foreign Minister).

Russian

Russian refers to anything related to Russia, including:

Russian may also refer to:

See also