Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Serbia)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Министарство спољних послова Ministarstvo spoljnih poslova
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building
Ministry overview
Formed	15 January 1991 (1991-01-15) 1804 (1804)
Jurisdiction	Government of Serbia
Headquarters	Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building, 24–26 Kneza Miloša, Belgrade, Serbia 44°48′19.8″N 20°27′33″E
Employees	945 (2017)
Annual budget	€73.75 million (2020, planned)
Minister responsible	Marko Đurić
Website	www.mfa.gov.rs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: Министарство спољних послова, romanized: Ministarstvo spoljnih poslova) is the ministry in the government of Serbia which is in the charge of maintaining the consular affairs and foreign relations of Serbia. The current minister is Marko Đurić, in office since 2 May 2024.

Its headquarters are located in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building.

History

The foreign policy and diplomatic tradition of Serbia derive from its independent state in the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Specific foreign policy and diplomatic experience of the Serbian state was drawn upon the vassal or autonomous state of the Serbian people during the various periods of the Ottoman domination in the Balkans, from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries.

In the nineteenth century, when the movement for independence from the Ottoman Empire became irrepressible, especially after the First Serbian Uprising (1804) under Karađorđe and the Second Uprising (1815) under Miloš Obrenović, Serbia embarked upon an ever-broader diplomatic rapport with the Porte in Constantinople, with Russia, Austria, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and other European nations and neighboring states, such as Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. Serbia became fully independent and internationally recognized at the Congress of Berlin in 1878.

Among the states with which Serbia established diplomatic relations first (before that time diplomatic relations were limited to certain diplomatic functions) were Russia, Austria, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and a number of other European countries. The diplomatic relations with the United States, however, were established only in 1882, through the ratification of the Convention on trade and navigation and the Convention on consular relations.

Following the end of World War I, in which Serbia fought on the side of the Entente, Serbia became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

In the interwar period the Kingdom was a founding member of the League of Nations and of the Little Entente with Romania and Czechoslovakia as well as of the Balkan Treaty with Romania, Greece and Turkey. The Kingdom's joining of the Axis Tripartite Pact on March 25, 1941 was revoked, by the will of the Serbian people, on the streets of Belgrade two days later.

During World War II, in which Yugoslavia was allied against the Axis Powers, a new Yugoslav federal state came into being that was proclaimed and internationally recognized in 1945.

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was a founding member of the United Nations in 1945 and of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe in 1975. It was also one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, which held two summit conferences in Belgrade, in 1961 and 1989. In the early fifties Yugoslavia was a member of the Balkan Pact with Greece and Turkey.

The ministry in current form was established on 15 January 1991.

Officials and organization

The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Ivica Dačić. The State Secretary is Vera Mavrić and the Secretary General is Zoran Marković. Assistant Ministers are Goran Aleksić for bilateral relations, Roksanda Ninčić for multilateral affairs, Duško Lopandić for the European Union, Zoran Vujić for security policy, and Šani Dermaku for consular affairs.

Organization scheme of the ministry:

• Office of the Minister
  • Diplomatic Protocol
  • Special Services
    • Service for Investigation and Documentation
    • Security Service
    • Service for International Legal Affairs
    • Translations Service
    • ICT Department
  • Secretariat General
    • Directorate of Personnel and Legal Affairs
    • Accounts and Payments Directorate
    • Directorate of Archival Affairs
    • Service for Property-Legal, General and Common Affairs
    • Out-of-Hours Contact Office
    • Inspector General
    • Office of the State Secretary
      • Directorates General
        • Directorate General of Bilateral Relations
          • Directorate for Neighboring and South-East European Countries
          • Directorate for Europe
          • Directorate for Russia and Eurasia
          • Directorate for Americas
          • Directorate for Africa and the Middle East
          • Directorate for Asia, Australia and the Pacific
          • Directorate of Bilateral Economic Cooperation
          • Directorate for Borders
        • Directorate General of Multilateral Cooperation
          • Directorate for the United Nations
          • OSCE and CoE Directorate
          • Directorate of Multilateral Economic Cooperation
          • Directorate of Human Rights and Protection of the Environment
        • Directorate General for the European Union
          • Directorate for the Institutions of the European Union Countries
          • Directorate for Sectoral Affairs
          • Directorate for Regional Initiatives
        • Directorate General for NATO and Defense Affairs
          • Directorate for NATO
          • Partnership for Peace Directorate
          • Directorate for Weapons Control
          • MoD Coordination Section
        • Directorate General of Information and Culture
          • Directorate of Information
          • Directorate of International, Cultural, Educational, Scientific, Technological and Sports Cooperation
        • Directorate General of Consular Affairs and Diaspora
          • Directorate of Consular Affairs
          • Directorate of Development, Diaspora and Social Security Conventions
  • Councils
    • Council for Foreign Policy Strategy
    • Legal Council of the MFA
  • Diplomatic Academy

Serbian representation abroad

Serbia has a significant number of diplomatic missions abroad, representing its growing ties with the West along with Yugoslavia's historical ties with eastern Europe and the Non-Aligned Movement.

Serbia inherited about a third of the diplomatic facilities that belonged to the former Yugoslavia. After 2001 embassies in Chile, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Lebanon, Mongolia, North Korea, Pakistan, Thailand, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zimbabwe were closed due to financial or reciprocal reasons. In June 2008, the government of Serbia made the decision to close consulates in Bari, Graz and Malmö, and later that year Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić announced plans to open a consulate-general in Knin, Croatia and an embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

On November 30, 2006, the Government of Serbia adopted the Memorandum of Agreement between the Republic of Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia on Consular Protection and Services to the Citizens of Montenegro. By this agreement, Serbian diplomatic missions provide consular services to the Montenegrin citizens on the territory of states in which Montenegro has no missions of its own.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintains the following missions abroad:

• 65 embassies;
• 23 consulates in 15 countries;
• 55 honorary consuls;
• 7 diplomatic missions to the: COE, EU, NATO, OSCE, UN - New York, UN - Geneva, and UNESCO.

Serbia hosts 65 foreign embassies in Belgrade, 5 Consulates-Generals (two in Niš and Subotica and one in Vršac) and 4 Liaison offices (in Priština). Serbia also hosts representatives of the Palestinian National Authority and Sovereign Military Order of Malta and 13 Honorary Consuls, some accredited as Ambassadors.

Diplomatic Academy

The first modern law on diplomatic service was passed in 1886 during the reign of King Milan. The Diplomatic Academy was formed in 1998 from the former diplomatic school of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Diplomatic Archive

Main article: Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia

The diplomatic archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is based on former activities of the diplomatic archive of the Kingdom of Serbia and Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was founded on May 5, 1919 on the basis of the Decree, and it consisted of Documentation and Library of the Ministry, taken over from the Ministry of the Kingdom of Serbia and Montenegro. The Main Archive started to operate more effectively in the fall of 1924 since it was then that the Minister of Foreign Affairs formed an expert commission whose task was to inspect gathered documents on the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and make a plan of future operation of the Main archive. The Law on archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic and consular missions of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia abroad has from April 5, 1930 been precise in stating which holdings of the archive would become part of the Main Archive. The Diplomatic Archive has published the collections of public documents on foreign affairs of the SFRY between 1945 and 1950 in eight volumes called Blue edition.

List of ministers

Foreign Ministers of Serbia prior to formation of Yugoslavia

This is a list of all the Foreign Ministers (and the Acting Foreign Ministers) of the Revolutionary Serbia, the Principality of Serbia and the Kingdom of Serbia from the creation of this post in 1811 to the formation of Yugoslavia after World War I, in the late 1918. The list continues as a List of Foreign Ministers of Yugoslavia.

  Conservative Party   Liberal Party   Serbian Progressive Party   People's Radical Party   Independent Radical Party   Non-party

Minister (Birth–Death)			Took office	Left office	Monarch
Revolutionary Serbia (1804–1815)
		Miljko Radonjić Миљко Радоњић (1770–1836)	4 February 1811	25 December 1812	Karađorđe
Principality of Serbia (1815–1882)
		Dimitrije Davidović Димитрије Давидовић (1789–1838)	8 June 1834	3 February 1835	Prince Miloš
		Avram Petronijević Аврам Петронијевић (1791–1852)	3 February 1835	3 May 1840
		Đorđe Protić Ђорђе Протић (1793–1857)	3 May 1840	26 October 1842	Prince Mihailo
		Aleksa Janković Алекса Јанковић (1806–1869) Acting	26 October 1842	24 September 1843	Prince Alexander
		Aleksa Simić Алекса Симић (1800–1872)	24 September 1843	29 September 1844
		Avram Petronijević Аврам Петронијевић (1791–1852)	29 September 1844	10 April 1852
		Aleksa Janković Алекса Јанковић (1806–1869) Acting	10 April 1852	13 September 1852
		Ilija Garašanin Илија Гарашанин (1812–1874)	13 September 1852	14 March 1853
		Aleksa Simić Алекса Симић (1800–1872)	14 March 1853	16 December 1855
		Aleksa Janković Алекса Јанковић (1806–1869)	16 December 1855	29 May 1856
		Stevan Marković Стеван Марковић (1804–1864)	29 May 1856	16 September 1856
		Aleksa Simić Алекса Симић (1800–1872)	16 September 1856	19 June 1857
		Stevan Marković Стеван Марковић (1804–1864)	19 June 1857	31 March 1858
		Stevan Magazinović Стеван Магазиновић (1804–1874)	31 March 1858	6 April 1859	Prince Miloš
		Cvetko Rajović Цветко Рајовић (1793–1873)	6 April 1859	27 October 1860
		Filip Hristić Филип Христић (1819–1905)	27 October 1860	9 December 1861	Prince Mihailo
		Ilija Garašanin Илија Гарашанин (1812–1874)	9 December 1861	3 November 1867
		Jovan Ristić Јован Ристић (1831–1899)	3 November 1867	21 November 1867
		Milan Petronijević Милан Петронијевић (1831–1914)	21 November 1867	21 June 1868
		Radivoje Milojković Радивој Милојковић (1833–1888) Acting	21 June 1868	24 September 1868	Prince Milan
		Dimitrije Matić Димитрије Матић (1821–1884) Acting	24 September 1868	10 August 1872
		Jovan Ristić Јован Ристић (1831–1899)	10 August 1872	22 October 1873
		Jovan Marinović Јован Мариновић (1821–1893)	22 October 1873	25 November 1874
		Milan Piroćanac Милан Пироћанац (1837–1897)	25 November 1874	20 January 1875
		Milan Bogićević Милан Богићевић (1840–1929)	20 January 1875	19 August 1875
		Jovan Ristić Јован Ристић (1831–1899)	19 August 1875	26 September 1875
		Đorđe M. Pavlović Ђорђе Павловић (1838–1921)	26 September 1875	24 April 1876
		Jovan Ristić Јован Ристић (1831–1899)	24 April 1876	21 October 1880
		Čedomilj Mijatović Чедомиљ Мијатовић (1842–1932)	21 October 1880	10 October 1881
		Milan Piroćanac Милан Пироћанац (1837–1897)	10 October 1881	7 March 1882
Kingdom of Serbia (1882–1918)
		Milan Piroćanac Милан Пироћанац (1837–1897)	7 March 1882	21 September 1883	King Milan I
		Milan Bogićević Милан Богићевић (1840–1929)	21 September 1883	7 February 1884
		Milutin Garašanin Милутин Гарашанин (1843–1898)	7 February 1884	23 March 1886
		Dragutin Franasović Драгутин Франасовић (1842–1914)	23 March 1886	1 June 1887
		Jovan Ristić Јован Ристић (1831–1899)	1 June 1887	19 December 1887
		Dragutin Franasović Драгутин Франасовић (1842–1914)	19 December 1887	14 April 1888
		Čedomilj Mijatović Чедомиљ Мијатовић (1842–1932)	14 April 1888	23 February 1889
		Sava Grujić Сава Грујић (1840–1913)	23 February 1889	11 February 1891	King Alexander I
		Mihailo Kr. Đorđević Михаило Кр. Ђорђевић (1850–1901)	11 February 1891	21 March 1892
		Nikola Pašić Никола Пашић (1845–1926)	21 March 1892	9 August 1892
		Jovan Avakumović Јован Авакумовић (1841–1928)	9 August 1892	1 April 1893
		Andra Nikolić Андра Николић (1853–1918)	1 April 1893	23 November 1893
		Sava Grujić Сава Грујић (1840–1913)	23 November 1893	12 January 1894
		Đorđe Simić Ђорђе Симић (1843–1921)	12 January 1894	21 March 1894
		Sima Lozanić Сима Лозанић (1847–1935)	21 March 1894	15 October 1894
		Milan Bogićević Милан Богићевић (1840–1929)	15 October 1894	25 June 1895
		Stojan Novaković Стојан Новаковић (1842–1915)	25 June 1895	17 December 1896
		Đorđe Simić Ђорђе Симић (1843–1921)	17 December 1896	11 October 1897
		Vladan Đorđević Владан Ђорђевић (1844–1930)	11 October 1897	8 July 1900
		Aleksa Jovanović Алекса Јовановић (1846–1920)	12 July 1900	5 February 1901
		Mihailo Vujić Михаило Вујић (1853–1913)	5 February 1901	7 October 1902
		Vasilije Antonić Василије Антонић (1860–1929)	7 October 1902	23 December 1902
		Sima Lozanić Сима Лозанић (1847–1935)	23 December 1902	23 March 1903
		Pavle Denić Павле Денић (1855–1939) Acting	23 March 1903	29 May 1903
		Ljubomir Kaljević Љубомир Каљевић (1841–1907)	29 May 1903	21 September 1903	King Peter I
		Andra Nikolić Андра Николић (1853–1918)	21 September 1903	20 January 1904
		Nikola Pašić Никола Пашић (1845–1926)	26 January 1904	16 May 1905
		Jovan Žujović Јован Жујовић (1856–1936)	16 May 1905	2 December 1905
		Vasilije Antonić Василије Антонић (1860–1929)	2 December 1905	17 April 1906
		Nikola Pašić Никола Пашић (1845–1926)	17 April 1906	7 July 1908
		Milovan Milovanović Милован Миловановић (1863–1912)	7 July 1908	18 June 1912
		Jovan Jovanović Pižon Јован Јовановић Пижон (1869–1939)	18 June 1912	27 August 1912
		Nikola Pašić Никола Пашић (1845–1926)	30 August 1912	10 March 1918
		Mihailo Gavrilović Михаило Гавриловић (1868–1924) Acting	10 March 1918	3 November 1918
		Stojan Protić Стојан Протић (1857–1923) Acting	3 November 1918	7 December 1918

Foreign Ministers of Serbia since 1991

This list includes Ministers of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 1993, and after the dissolution of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro in 2006. For previous ministers, see Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Yugoslavia).

Political Party:   SPS   SPO   DS   SNS   n-p

No.	Portrait	Minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1		Mikašinović, BrankoBranko Mikašinović (1924–1999)	15 February 1991	31 July 1991	166 days	SPS	Zelenović
2		Jovanović, VladislavVladislav Jovanović (born 1933)	31 July 1991	14 July 1992	349 days	SPS	Zelenović Božović
(2)		Jovanović, VladislavVladislav Jovanović (born 1933)	30 September 1992	4 March 1993	155 days	SPS	Božović Šainović
Part of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Yugoslavia
3		Drašković, VukVuk Drašković (born 1946)	4 June 2006	15 May 2007	345 days	SPO	Koštunica I
4		Jeremić, VukVuk Jeremić (born 1975)	15 May 2007	27 July 2012	5 years, 73 days	DS	Koštunica II Cvetković
5		Mrkić, IvanIvan Mrkić (born 1953)	27 July 2012	27 April 2014	1 year, 274 days	Independent	Dačić
6		Dačić, IvicaIvica Dačić (born 1966)	27 April 2014	22 October 2020	6 years, 178 days	SPS	Vučić I–II Brnabić
–		Brnabić, AnaAna Brnabić (born 1975) Acting	22 October 2020	28 October 2020	6 days	SNS	Brnabić
7		Selaković, NikolaNikola Selaković (born 1983)	28 October 2020	26 October 2022	1 year, 363 days	SNS	Brnabić II
(6)		Dačić, IvicaIvica Dačić (born 1966)	26 October 2022	2 May 2024	1 year, 189 days	SPS	Brnabić III
8		Đurić, MarkoMarko Đurić (born 1983)	2 May 2024	Incumbent	230 days	SNS	Vučević

See also

• Foreign relations of Serbia
• Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Yugoslavia)

Further reading

• Popov, Čedomir; Živojinović, Dragoljub; Marković, Slobodan (2013). Dva veka moderne srpske diplomatije: Bicentenary of Modern Serbian Diplomacy (in Serbian). Balkanološki institut SANU. ISBN 978-86-7179-079-6.

External links

• Official website