Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Belarus)


The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus is the Belarusian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Belarus.
The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Vladimir Makei, since 2012.

History

Historical lineage

In December 1920, the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs was established by resolution of the Second Congress of Soviets of Belarus. With the 1922 formation of the USSR, the functions of representing the Soviet republics in the international arena passed into the national jurisdiction. On 1 February 1944, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a law on giving the Union Republics powers in the field of foreign policy. The People’s Commissariat of Foreign Affairs of the Belarusian SSR was then established on 24 March that year as a direct result of a resolution passed by the Supreme Soviet. According to this law, the union republics received the right to enter into direct relations with foreign states, conclude agreements with them and exchange diplomatic and consular missions. The structure of the People's Commissariat included the political, protocol and consular departments, the personnel department and the administration of affairs. The staff of the People's Commissariat totaled 27 people. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of Belarus on 26 March 1946, the People’s Commissariat was transformed into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Exactly 12 years later, the Council of Ministers gave the order for the ministry to represent the BSSR at the United Nations.

Modern era

On 19 September 1991, it become known as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, effective on this day from a national law adopted at the extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet. The ministry then became subordinate to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus. By a decree of President Alexander Lukashenko on 4 December 1998, the ministry was reorganized by abolishing three ministries: foreign affairs, CIS affairs and foreign economic relations. The new most recent regulation on the ministry was approved by decree in July 2006. Currently, the Republic of Belarus maintains diplomatic relations with 164 countries of the world, in 47 of which 60 diplomatic missions are opened. Among them are 45 embassies, 7 permanent missions to international organizations, 7 general consulates and 1 consulate. 12 branches of the embassies of the Republic of Belarus also operate abroad.

Ministers of Foreign Affairs

[Belarusian People's Republic]

The structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus as of August 2019: