Ministry of foreign affairs

"Foreign office" redirects here. For the British government department, see Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
British Foreign Secretary James Callaghan and Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Max van der Stoel in 1975

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 relations affairs as well as for providing support, including consular services, for a country's citizens who are abroad.[1] 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).[2] The foreign minister typically reports to the head of government (such as prime minister or president).[3]

  1. ^ The Selection and Tenure of Foreign Ministers Around the World. Cambridge University Press. 2024.
  2. ^ "Minister of Foreign Affairs". The Free Dictionaryaccessdate=March 24, 2024.
  3. ^ The Oxford Andrew F. Cooper, et al. eds. The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy (2015) excerpt chapters 4 and 5.