A minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister that helps to form foreign policy for sovereign nations. The ministry for foreign affairs is often considered to be the most senior ministerial position after that of the head of government (prime minister), and is often given to the deputy prime minister in coalition governments. In some cabinets the foreign minister is known as the minister for external affairs.

A foreign minister's powers can vary from government to government. In a classic parliamentary system a foreign minister can have genuine influence in forming foreign policy. However, with a strong prime minister, or in a presidential system, a foreign minister can have a more advisory role, or be outright ignored. Since the end of World War II, it has been common for the foreign minister to be part of an inner cabinet, often known as a National Security Council, with the defence minister so that defence and diplomatic policy can better be coordinated. While it was common for a head of government to assume the foreign ministry in the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries, this is not as common anymore. It still occurs, but usually only in newly independent or developing nations.

In the United States, the foreign minister is the 'Secretary of State', and holds the oldest cabinet post in the nation. In the United Kingdom, the foreign minister is called the 'Foreign Secretary', and has officially been called the 'Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs' since 1968, when the previously separate Foreign Office and Commonwealth Office were merged.

Related articles and lists

By year

• List of foreign ministers in 1950
• List of foreign ministers in 1990
• List of foreign ministers in 1991
• List of foreign ministers in 1992
• List of foreign ministers in 1993
• List of foreign ministers in 1994
• List of foreign ministers in 1995
• List of foreign ministers in 1996
• List of foreign ministers in 1997
• List of foreign ministers in 1998
• List of foreign ministers in 1999
• List of foreign ministers in 2000
• List of foreign ministers in 2001
• List of foreign ministers in 2002
• List of foreign ministers in 2003
• List of foreign ministers in 2004
• List of foreign ministers in 2005

By country

• Australia: Minister for Foreign Affairs
• Austria-Hungary: List of Foreign Ministers of Austria-Hungary
• Canada:
  • (from 1993) Minister of Foreign Affairs (list)
  • (until 1993) Secretary of State for External Affairs (list)
• France: Minister of Foreign Affairs (list)
• Germany: Minister of Foreign Affairs (list)
• Iran: Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Republic of Ireland: Minister for Foreign Affairs
• Japan: Minister for Foreign Affairs (with list)
• New Zealand: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade (with list)
• Norway: Foreign minister of Norway
• Russia: List of Russian Foreign Ministers
• Sweden: Minister for Foreign Affairs
• Switzerland: Federal Councillor heading the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (list)
• United Kingdom:
  • (from 1968) Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (with list)
  • (until 1968) Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (with list)
• United States: Secretary of State (with list)