Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine


The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees the foreign relations of Ukraine. The head of the ministry is the Minister of [Foreign Affairs (Ukraine)|minister of foreign affairs].

History

Originally, the ministry was established as the General Secretariat of Nationalities as part of the General Secretariat of Ukraine and was headed by the federalist Serhiy Yefremov. Due to the Soviet intervention, the office was reformed into a ministry on December 22, 1917. About the same time, another government was formed that proclaimed the Ukrainian government to be counter-revolutionary. The Ukrainian Soviet government also reorganized its office on March 1, 1918. In 1923, the office was liquidated by the government of the Soviet Union and reinstated in 1944, twenty years later. The first Soviet representatives were not of much note until the appointment of the Bulgarian native Christian Rakovsky in 1919. The office would remain in operation even after Ukraine's restoration of independence in 1991.
On March 28, 2022, during the Russo-Ukrainian war, the ministry in a collaboration with One Philosophy launched the "Ukraine Street" campaign, calling for citizens of initially 34 countries in 53 cities to sign petitions of renaming their streets next to Russian embassies. It is a part of an attempt to "isolate Russia and de-Putinize the world", and to express solidarity with Ukraine. Streets in 20 cities of 17 countries have been renamed by its authorities during the campaign as of December 2022.

General overview

The ministry is located in Ukraine's capital Kyiv in the city's historic uppertown district, located in close proximity to the recently rebuilt St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. The building of the ministry is also located on the Mykhailivska Square, named for the monastery and next to the park Volodymyrska Hill.
The nomination of the Foreign Minister is done by the President of Ukraine, unlike most nominations of Cabinet Minister which are done by the Prime Minister of Ukraine. All minister nominations have to be approved by the Ukrainian Parliament.

Office of National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO

Ukraine has been a member of UNESCO since May 12, 1954. From December 1962 Ukraine had established its permanent representation in the organization currently served by the Ambassador of Ukraine to France. The National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO was created as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Presidential decree #212/1996 on March 26, 1996. The Chair of the National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO is Sergiy Kyslytsya.
The permanent representative of Ukraine to UNESCO is the Ambassador to France Kostiantyn Tymoshenko.
Ukraine has 14 academic departments cooperating with UNESCO as well as 63 schools associated with the organization.

List of ministers

Officials before 1924

;General Secretary of Nationalities
;People's Secretary of Nationalities
;Ministry of Foreign Affairs
;People's Secretaries of Foreign Affairs
;State Secretaries of Foreign Affairs of Western Ukraine
;People's Commissars of Foreign Affairs
;Ministers of Foreign Affairs
;Ministers of Foreign Affairs
File:Secretary Kerry Chats With Ukrainian Foreign Minister Deshchytsia Before Meeting With Russians.jpg|thumbnail|U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Deshchytsia before the two joined with Russian and European Union officials about Ukraine in Geneva, Switzerland, on April 17, 2014.