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.

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Greece)

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Greek: Υπουργός Εξωτερικών) is the senior minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, established on 3 April 1833. The current Minister for Foreign Affairs, since 23 September 2015, is Nikos Kotzias. The Minister has responsibility for the relations between the Hellenic Republic and foreign states.

Ministers for Foreign Affairs since 1974

External links

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Luxembourg)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (French: Ministère des Affaires étrangères, MAE) is a ministry of the government of Luxembourg, headquartered in the Hôtel Saint Maximin in Luxembourg City.

It is headed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (French: Ministre des Affaires étrangères), a position in the Luxembourgian cabinet. The Minister for Foreign Affairs is responsible for determining Luxembourg's foreign policy and representing the government abroad.

The position of Minister for Foreign Affairs has been in continuous existence since the promulgation of Luxembourg's first constitution, in 1848. Until 1937, the position was held concurrently by the Prime Minister, thus ridding it of any true significance as an office. However, in 1937, Joseph Bech resigned as Prime Minister, but was immediately reappointed as Minister for Foreign Affairs upon Pierre Dupong's premiership. When Bech became Prime Minister again, in 1953, the two jobs were united once more. Over the next twenty-six years, the jobs were separated and united another two times. However, since 1979, the two positions have been remained in separate hands.