Founded 12 March 1798 Annual budget 115 billion EUR (2013) | ||
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Formed March 12, 1798; 218 years ago (1798-03-12) Ministers responsible Bert Koenders, Minister of Foreign AffairsLilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Website Ministry of Foreign Affairs Profiles |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Dutch: Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken; BZ) is a Dutch Ministry responsible for foreign relations and international development. Although the Dutch Republic already engaged in extensive diplomatic activity, the present Ministry was created in 1798 as the Department of Foreign Affairs of the then Batavian Republic. It was renamed in 1876 to become the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Contents
The head of the Dutch Foreign Ministry is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, currently Bert Koenders.
Responsibilities
The Ministry is responsible for the foreign relations of the Netherlands and its responsibilities are as follows:
Organisation
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Development Cooperation (Netherlands), currently Lilianne Ploumen, provide political leadership to the Ministry. The ministry consists of four directorates-general, which deal with a particular policy area:
The Netherlands has about 140 diplomatic missions abroad, see list of diplomatic missions of the Netherlands.
History
The Ministry was formed in 1798 as the Department of Foreign Affairs. Since 1965 a special Minister for International Development has been appointed in each government with the exception of the First Balkenende cabinet and the First Rutte cabinet).
List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
See List of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.