Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ukraine)
Encyclopedia
Government of Ukraine
Government of Ukraine is often associated with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. However it should be considered that Ukraine is a country under a semi-presidential system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government...
ministry
Ministry (government department)
A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister or a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or...
which oversees the foreign relations
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
Historical overlook
Originally the Ministry was established as the General Secretariat of Nationalities as part of the General Secretariat of UkraineGeneral Secretariat of Ukraine
The General Secretariat of Ukraine was the main executive institution of the Ukrainian People's Republic from June 28, 1917 to January 22, 1918.It closely related to the today's Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine...
and was headed by the federalist Serhiy Yefremov
Serhiy Yefremov
Serhiy Yefremov was a Ukrainian literary journalist, historian, critic, political activist, statesman, and academician. He was a member of the Ukrainian Academy of Science and Shevchenko Scientific Society in Lviv...
. Due to the Soviet intervention the office was reformed into a ministry on December 22, 1917. About the same time another government was formed, the Soviet, 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 Soviet Union and reinstated in 1944, twenty years later. The first Soviet representatives were not much of a notice until the appointment of the Bulgarian native Christian Rakovsky
Christian Rakovsky
Christian Rakovsky was a Bulgarian socialist revolutionary, a Bolshevik politician and Soviet diplomat; he was also noted as a journalist, physician, and essayist...
in 1919.
General overview
The ministry is located in Ukraine's capital KievKiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
in the city's historic uppertown district, located in close proximity to the recently-rebuilt St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery
St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery
St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery is a functioning monastery in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. The monastery is located on the right bank of the Dnieper River on the edge of a bluff northeast of the Saint Sophia Cathedral...
. The building of the ministry is also located on the Mykhailiv Square, named for the monastery and next to the park "Volodymyr's Mount".
The nomination of the Foreign Minister is done by the President of Ukraine
President of Ukraine
Prior to the formation of the modern Ukrainian presidency, the previous Ukrainian head of state office was officially established in exile by Andriy Livytskyi. At first the de facto leader of nation was the president of the Central Rada at early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic, while the...
, unlike most nominations of Cabinet Minister
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
The Cabinet of Ukraine is the highest body of state executive power in Ukraine also referred to as the Government of Ukraine...
which are done by the Prime Minister of Ukraine
Prime Minister of Ukraine
The Prime Minister of Ukraine is Ukraine's head of government presiding over the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which is the highest body of the executive branch of the Ukrainian government....
. All minister nominations have to be approved by the Ukrainian Parliament. Kostyantyn Hryshchenko is the current Minister.
Office of National Commission of Ukraine For UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Ukraine is the UNESCO member 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. By the Presidential decree #32/2011 issued on January 14, 2011 the Head of the National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO was appointed Ruslan Mykhailovych Demchenko, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ruslan Demchenko changed on that post V.Khandohiy.
The permanent representative of Ukraine to UNESCO is the Ambassador to France Kostyantyn Volodymyrovych Tymoshenko.
Ukraine has about 14 academic departments that cooperate with the mission of UNESCO as well as 63 schools associated with the organization.
Officials before 1924
General Secretary of Nationalities (June 28 - December 22, 1917)- Serhiy YefremovSerhiy YefremovSerhiy Yefremov was a Ukrainian literary journalist, historian, critic, political activist, statesman, and academician. He was a member of the Ukrainian Academy of Science and Shevchenko Scientific Society in Lviv...
(Socialist-Federalist) (June 28 - July 17, 1917) - Oleksandr Shulhin (Socialist-Federalist) (July 17 - December 22, 1917)
People's Secretary of Nationalities (December 14, 1917 - March 1, 1918)
- Sergei Bakinsky (BolshevikBolshevikThe Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
) (December 14, 1917 - March 1, 1918)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (December 22, 1917 - May 1920)
- Oleksandr Shulhin (Socialist-Federalist) (December 22, 1917 - January 24, 1918)
- Vsevolod HolubovychVsevolod HolubovychVsevolod Oleksandrovych Holubovych was born in the village of Poltavka, Balta uyezd, Podolie Governorate. Holubovych was the Prime Minister of the Ukrainian People's Republic from January to March.-Early period:...
(Socialist-Revolutionary) (January 24 - March 3, 1918) - Mykola Liubynsky (Socialist-Revolutionary) (March 3 - April 28, 1918)
- Mykola Vasylenko (Association of Ukrainian Progressionists) (April 30 - May 20, 1918)
- Dmytro DoroshenkoDmytro DoroshenkoDmytro Doroshenko was a prominent Ukrainian political figure during the revolution of 1917-1918 and a leading Ukrainian emigre historian during the inter-war period.-Political career:...
(Socialist-Federalist) (May 20 - November 14, 1918) - Georgiy Afanasyev (November 14 - December 14, 1918)
- Volodymyr Chekhivsky (Ukrainian MenshevikUkrainian Social Democratic Labour PartyThe Ukrainian Social Democratic Labour Party was the leading party of the Ukrainian People's Republic and was also known as SDPists or Esdeky. The party was reformed in 1905 at the Second Congress of the RUP and was pursuing the Marxist ideology...
) (December 26, 1918 - February 11, 1919) - Kostiantyn Matsiyevych (February 13 - March 1919)
- Volodymyr Temnytsky (Social DemocratUkrainian Social Democratic Party (1899)Ukrainian Social Democratic Party was a political party in Galicia. The party was founded in 1899. USDP was affiliated to the Social Democratic Workers Party of Austria, but also had close ties to the Ukrainian Social Democratic Labour Party in the Russian Empire. Ideologically the party had an...
) (April - August 1919) - Andriy LivytskyiAndriy LivytskyiAndriy Mykolaiovych Livytskyi — died January 17, 1954) was a Ukrainian politician, diplomat, statesman, and lawyer.He was president of the Ukrainian People's Republic in exile and the Chairman of the Directory prior to reforming that office into the presidential.-Biography:Andriy Livytskyi was...
(Ukrainian MenshevikUkrainian Social Democratic Labour PartyThe Ukrainian Social Democratic Labour Party was the leading party of the Ukrainian People's Republic and was also known as SDPists or Esdeky. The party was reformed in 1905 at the Second Congress of the RUP and was pursuing the Marxist ideology...
) (August 1919 - May 1920)
People's Secretaries of Foreign Affairs (March 1, 1918 - July 1923)
- Volodymyr ZatonskyVolodymyr ZatonskyVolodymyr Zatonsky was a Soviet politician, Communist Party activist, member of the Ukrainian SSR Academy of Sciences ....
(BolshevikBolshevikThe Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
) (March 1–4, 1918) - Mykola SkrypnykMykola SkrypnykMykola Oleksiyovych Skrypnyk was a Ukrainian Bolshevik leader who was a proponent of the Ukrainian Republic's independence, and led the cultural Ukrainization effort in Soviet Ukraine. When the policy was reversed and he was removed from his position, he committed suicide rather than be forced to...
(BolshevikBolshevikThe Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
) (March 8 - April 18, 1918) - Christian RakovskyChristian RakovskyChristian Rakovsky was a Bulgarian socialist revolutionary, a Bolshevik politician and Soviet diplomat; he was also noted as a journalist, physician, and essayist...
(BolshevikBolshevikThe Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
) (January - July 1919) - Christian RakovskyChristian RakovskyChristian Rakovsky was a Bulgarian socialist revolutionary, a Bolshevik politician and Soviet diplomat; he was also noted as a journalist, physician, and essayist...
(BolshevikBolshevikThe Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
) (March 1920 - July 1923)
State Secretaries of Foreign Affairs of Western Ukraine (November 1918 - February 1923)
- Vasyl Paneiko (National Democrat) (November 1918 - January 1919)
- Lonhyn TsehelskyLonhyn TsehelskyLonhyn Tsehelsky was a western Ukrainian lawyer, journalist and political leader who served in the Austrian parliament, who became Secretary of Internal Affairs and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs within the government of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, and who was one of the founders of...
(National Democrat) (January - February 1919) - Mykhailo Lozynsky (March - April 1919)
- Stepan VytvytskyiStepan VytvytskyiStepan Vytvytskyi was a Ukrainian politician, diplomat, and journalist...
(National Democrat) (April 1919 - February 1920) - Kost LevytskyKost LevytskyKost Levytsky was a Ukrainian politician. He was a founder of the Ukrainian National Democratic movement and the leader of the State Representative Body of the Ukrainian government declared on June 30, 1941-Biography:...
(National Democrat) (1920 - February 1923)
Officials after the World War II
People's Commissars of Foreign Affairs- Oleksandr Korniychuk (February - July 1944)
- Dmitry ManuilskyDmitry ManuilskyDmitriy Manuilsky, or Dmytro Zakharovych Manuilsky was an important Bolshevik. He was the son of an Orthodox priest from a Ukrainian village. After secondary school he enrolled in the University of St...
(July 1944 - March 15, 1946)
Ministers of Foreign Affairs
- Dmitry ManuilskyDmitry ManuilskyDmitriy Manuilsky, or Dmytro Zakharovych Manuilsky was an important Bolshevik. He was the son of an Orthodox priest from a Ukrainian village. After secondary school he enrolled in the University of St...
(March 15, 1946–1952) - Anatoliy Baranovsky (June 10, 1952 - June 17, 1953)
- Luka Palamarchuk (June 17, 1953 - May 11, 1954)
- Luka Palamarchuk (May 11, 1954 - August 13, 1965)
- Dmytro Bilokolos (March 16, 1966 - June 11, 1970)
- Heorhiy Shevel (August 10, 1970 - November 18, 1980)
- Volodymyr Martynenko (November 18, 1980 - December 28, 1984)
- Volodymyr Kravets (diplomat) (December 28, 1984 - July 27, 1990)
- Anatoliy ZlenkoAnatoliy ZlenkoAnatoly Maximovich Zlenko is a Ukrainian diplomat. He was formerly the foreign minister of Ukraine.-References:...
(July 27, 1990 - August 24, 1991)
Ministers of Foreign Affairs (post-Soviet)
- Anatoliy ZlenkoAnatoliy ZlenkoAnatoly Maximovich Zlenko is a Ukrainian diplomat. He was formerly the foreign minister of Ukraine.-References:...
(August 24, 1991 - August 25, 1994)- Hennadiy UdovenkoHennadiy UdovenkoHennadiy Yosypovych Udovenko is a Ukrainian politician and diplomat. He has served as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, has been the 52nd President of the United Nations General Assembly and Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine . He is from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast...
(August 25, 1994 - September 16, 1994)
- Hennadiy Udovenko
- Hennadiy UdovenkoHennadiy UdovenkoHennadiy Yosypovych Udovenko is a Ukrainian politician and diplomat. He has served as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, has been the 52nd President of the United Nations General Assembly and Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine . He is from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast...
(September 16, 1994 - April 17, 1998) - Borys Tarasiuk (April 17, 1998 - September 29, 2000)
- Anatoliy ZlenkoAnatoliy ZlenkoAnatoly Maximovich Zlenko is a Ukrainian diplomat. He was formerly the foreign minister of Ukraine.-References:...
(October 2, 2000 - September 2, 2003) - Kostyantyn Hryshchenko (September 2, 2003 - February 3, 2005)
- Borys Tarasiuk (February 4, 2005 - December 1, 2006)
- Borys Tarasiuk (December 5, 2006 - January 30, 2007)
- Volodymyr Ohryzko (January 31, 2007 - March 21, 2007)
- Arseniy Yatseniuk (March 21, 2007 - December 18, 2007)
- Volodymyr Ohryzko (December 18, 2007 - March 3, 2009)
- Petro Poroshenko (October 9, 2009 - March 11, 2010)
- Kostyantyn Hryshchenko (March 11, 2010 - present)