Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Greece)
The Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a government department of Greece, headed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The ministry has its headquarters in Athens.
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.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. 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.
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.
Responsibilities
The mission of the Ministry is to implement the country's foreign policy, and its responsibilities include, among others:- Supporting and promoting Greek interests in foreign states and the international community
- Providing information and updates on Greek issues and positions
- Representing the Hellenic Republic and its government in international organizations and bodies
- Offering diplomatic support to state institutions, public enterprises and organizations, political parties, and members of parliament during their international contacts
- Promoting and protecting the rights and interests of Greeks abroad
- Promoting and safeguarding Greece's economic, commercial, maritime, tourism, and other interests abroad
- Managing the diplomatic correspondence of the President of the Republic
- Maintaining relations of the Hellenic Republic with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, autocephalous Orthodox churches, and other religious denominations
- Politically administering Mount Athos
- Handling matters related to the awarding of Greek Orders of Excellence and the authorization to accept foreign distinctions
List of ministers for foreign affairs since 1974
| Photo | Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
| George Mavros | 24 July 1974 | 9 October 1974 | Centre Union | |
| Dimitrios Bitsios | 17 October 1974 | 20 November 1977 | New Democracy | |
| Panagiotis Papaligouras | 29 November 1977 | 10 May 1978 | New Democracy | |
| George Rallis | 10 May 1978 | 10 May 1980 | New Democracy | |
| Konstantinos Mitsotakis | 10 May 1980 | 21 October 1981 | New Democracy | |
| Ioannis Charalambopoulos | 21 October 1981 | 26 July 1985 | PASOK | |
| Karolos Papoulias | 26 July 1985 | 2 July 1989 | PASOK | |
| Tzannis Tzannetakis | 2 July 1989 | 12 October 1989 | New Democracy | |
| Georgios Papoulias | 12 October 1989 | 23 November 1989 | Independent | |
| Antonis Samaras | 23 November 1989 | 16 February 1990 | New Democracy | |
| Georgios Papoulias | 16 February 1990 | 11 April 1990 | Independent | |
| Antonis Samaras | 11 April 1990 | 14 April 1992 | New Democracy | |
| Konstantinos Mitsotakis | 14 April 1992 | 7 August 1992 | New Democracy | |
| Michalis Papakonstantinou | 7 August 1992 | 13 October 1993 | New Democracy | |
| Karolos Papoulias | 13 October 1993 | 22 January 1996 | PASOK | |
| Theodoros Pangalos | 22 January 1996 | 18 February 1999 | PASOK | |
| George Papandreou | 18 February 1999 | 13 February 2004 | PASOK | |
| Tasos Giannitsis | 13 February 2004 | 10 March 2004 | PASOK | |
| Petros Molyviatis | 10 March 2004 | 15 February 2006 | New Democracy | |
| Dora Bakoyannis | 15 February 2006 | 7 October 2009 | New Democracy | |
| George Papandreou | 7 October 2009 | 7 September 2010 | PASOK | |
| Dimitris Droutsas | 7 September 2010 | 17 June 2011 | PASOK | |
| Stavros Lambrinidis | 17 June 2011 | 11 November 2011 | PASOK | |
| Stavros Dimas | 11 November 2011 | 17 May 2012 | New Democracy | |
| Petros Molyviatis | 17 May 2012 | 21 June 2012 | New Democracy | |
| Dimitris Avramopoulos | 21 June 2012 | 25 June 2013 | New Democracy | |
| Evangelos Venizelos | 25 June 2013 | 27 January 2015 | PASOK | |
| Nikos Kotzias | 27 January 2015 | 27 August 2015 | Syriza | |
| Petros Molyviatis | 28 August 2015 | 21 September 2015 | New Democracy | |
| Nikos Kotzias | 23 September 2015 | 20 October 2018 | Syriza | |
| Alexis Tsipras | 20 October 2018 | 15 February 2019 | Syriza | |
| Georgios Katrougalos | 15 February 2019 | 9 July 2019 | Syriza | |
| Nikos Dendias | 9 July 2019 | 25 May 2023 | New Democracy | |
| Vasilis Kaskarelis | 25 May 2023 | 27 June 2023 | Independent | |
| Giorgos Gerapetritis | 27 June 2023 | present | New Democracy |