Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Greece)

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών
Coat of Arms of Greece (Monochromatic).svg
Attica 06-13 Athens 07 MFA Greece.jpg
Syggrou Mansion  [ el ] -Ministry of Foreign Affairs' headquarters
Agency overview
Preceding agency
  • Ministry of the Royal House and Foreign Affairs (up to 1863)
Jurisdiction Government of Greece
Headquarters Vasilissis Sofias Avenue 5 - Athens
Employees1.847 (2024) [1]
1.860 (2016) [2]
Annual budget420.237.000 euro (2025) [3]
Minister responsible
Deputy minister responsible
Agency executive
  • Teresa – Paraskevi Angelatou, Secretary General
Child agencies
  • Secretary General for International Economic Affairs
  • Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy
Website www.mfa.gr OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg


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

Contents

The incumbent minister is Giorgos Gerapetritis in the Second Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

History

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is one of Greece’s oldest ministries. Theodoros Negris is regarded as its first minister, serving from 1822 to 1823. [4]
However, the ministry was dissolved in May 1823, as Greece had not yet gained official recognition from any state. It was re-established in 1827 as an independent entity under the name Secretariat of State for Foreign Affairs and Merchant Marine. In 1828, Greece was formally recognized as a state by the three protecting powers, leading to the appointment of the first ambassadors to the country. This title persisted until April 1833, when, following the arrival of King Otto, it was renamed the Secretariat of State for the Royal House and Foreign Affairs, with Spyridon Trikoupis as its first minister. [4] During this period, Greece expanded its diplomatic relations with Austrian Empire, Belgium, Danish Unitary State, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and the Kingdom of Sweden and Norway. [5] In 1846, the title was updated to the Ministry of the Royal House and Foreign Affairs. In February 1863, it adopted its current official name, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [6]

Responsibilities

The mission of the Ministry is to implement the country's foreign policy, and its responsibilities include, among others:

[7]

List of ministers for foreign affairs since 1974

PhotoNameTook officeLeft officeParty
George Mavros 24 July 19749 October 1974 Centre Union
No image.png Dimitrios Bitsios 17 October 197420 November 1977 New Democracy
Papaligouras Panayiotis.jpg Panagiotis Papaligouras 29 November 197710 May 1978
Georgios Rallis v Liuksemburge (29-06-1981).jpg George Rallis 10 May 197810 May 1980
Mitsotakis 1992.jpg Konstantinos Mitsotakis 10 May 198021 October 1981
Yannis Charalambopoulos - 1985 (cropped).jpg Ioannis Charalambopoulos 21 October 198126 July 1985 PASOK
Karolos Papoulias.jpg Karolos Papoulias 26 July 19852 July 1989
No image.png Tzannis Tzannetakis 2 July 198912 October 1989New Democracy
No image.png Georgios Papoulias 12 October 198923 November 1989 Independent
Antonis Samaras October 2014.jpg Antonis Samaras 23 November 198916 February 1990New Democracy
No image.png Georgios Papoulias16 February 199011 April 1990Independent
Antonis Samaras October 2014.jpg Antonis Samaras11 April 199014 April 1992New Democracy
Mitsotakis 1992.jpg Konstantinos Mitsotakis14 April 19927 August 1992
No image.png Michalis Papakonstantinou 7 August 199213 October 1993
Karolos Papoulias.jpg Karolos Papoulias13 October 199322 January 1996PASOK
TheodorosPangalos.jpg Theodoros Pangalos 22 January 199618 February 1999
Papandreou handover cropped.jpg George Papandreou 18 February 199913 February 2004
No image.png Tasos Giannitsis 13 February 200410 March 2004
Petros Molyviatis 2013 (cropped).jpg Petros Molyviatis 10 March 200415 February 2006New Democracy
Dora Bakoyannis-headshot.jpg Dora Bakoyannis 15 February 20067 October 2009
Papandreou handover cropped.jpg George Papandreou7 October 20097 September 2010PASOK
Dimitris droutsas.jpg Dimitris Droutsas 7 September 201017 June 2011
Episkepse UPEKs S. Lamprinide se Libano.jpg Stavros Lambrinidis 17 June 201111 November 2011
Stavros Dimas 2008 (cropped).jpg Stavros Dimas 11 November 201117 May 2012New Democracy
Petros Molyviatis 2013 (cropped).jpg Petros Molyviatis17 May 201221 June 2012
Avramo1.jpg Dimitris Avramopoulos 21 June 201225 June 2013
Evangelos Venizelos 2014 (cropped).jpg Evangelos Venizelos 25 June 201327 January 2015PASOK
Ministerial handover to Nikos Kotzias.jpg Nikos Kotzias 27 January 201527 August 2015 Syriza
Petros Molyviatis 2013 (cropped).jpg Petros Molyviatis28 August 201521 September 2015New Democracy
Ministerial handover to Nikos Kotzias.jpg Nikos Kotzias23 September 201520 October 2018Syriza
Alexis Tsipras, prime minister of Greece (cropped).jpg Alexis Tsipras (also PM)20 October 201815 February 2019
Georgios Katrougalos in 2018.jpg Georgios Katrougalos 15 February 20199 July 2019
Dendias.jpg Nikos Dendias 9 July 201925 May 2023 New Democracy
Telete paradoses - paralabes sto Up. Exoterikon (26.05.2023) (meros a') - Handover ceremony of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs crop.jpg Vasilis Kaskarelis25 May 202327 June 2023Independent
Giorgos Gerapetritis March 2023.jpg Giorgos Gerapetritis 27 June 2023present New Democracy

See also

References

  1. ↑ Αnnual statistical data (el)
  2. ↑ "Πόσοι υπάλληλοι υπηρετούν ανά υπουργείο – Η «ακτινογραφία» του δημοσίου σε πίνακες" [How many employees serve per ministry - The "radiography" of the public sector in tables] (in Greek). 21 July 2016.
  3. ↑ budget for 2025
  4. 1 2 https://200years.mfa.gr/en/mfa-history-en/ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the Revolution and the early years of Independence]
  5. ↑ https://200years.mfa.gr/en/diplomatic-consular-relations-en/
  6. ↑ Government Gazette, FEK A6/1863
  7. ↑ "Νέος Οργανισμός του υπουργείου Εξωτερικών - Οι αρμοδιότητες" [New Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - The responsibilities]. voria.gr (in Greek). 28 May 2020.
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