The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the ministry in the government of France that handles France 's foreign relations . Since 1855, its headquarters has been located on the Quai d'Orsay , 37 (close to the National Assembly of France ). "Quai d'Orsay" is often used as a metonym for the ministry.
Its cabinet minister , the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs (French : Ministre de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères ) is responsible for the foreign relations of France . The current minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian , was appointed in May 2017.
In 1547, secretaries to the King became specialized, writing correspondence to foreign governments, and negotiating peace treaties. The four French secretaries of state where foreign relations were divided by region, in 1589, became centralized with one becoming first secretary responsible for international relations .
The Ancien Régime position of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs became Foreign Minister around 1723,[ 1] and was renamed "Minister of Foreign Affairs" in 1791 after the French Revolution . All ministerial positions were abolished in 1794 by the National Convention and re-established with the Directory .
For a brief period in the 1980s, the office was retitled Minister for External Relations . As of 17 May 2017, the ministry is designated the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and led by Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Central administration
Foreign Affairs Ministry building on the Quai d'Orsay
There are multiple services under its authority, along with that of some other ministers. Under the authority of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, that of Cooperation and European Affairs, and that of Foreign and European Affairs, there are numerous services directly related to the ministers. Here is a list of those services.
The ministers' cabinet
The office of cabinets, which gathers a personnel in charge of the administrative and logistics aspects of the three ministers' cabinets
The budget control service (CBCM )
General inspection of foreign affairs (IGAE )
The prospective office (DP )
The Protocole, upon which the President's protocole cell relies on
The Crisis management Department (CDC )
Secretaries of State (1547–1723)
Name
from
to
Guillaume Bochetel , seigneur de Sussy
1547
1558
Côme Clausse , seigneur de Marchaumont
1547
1559
Claude de l’Aubespine
1 April 1547
1567
Jean du Thiers , seigneur de Beauregard
1547
1559
Jacques Bourdin , seigneur de Villeines
1558
1567
Florimond II Robertet, seigneur de Fresnes
1558
1567
Florimond III Robertet d’Alluye
1559
1569
Claude II de l’Aubespine
8 July 1567
1570
Simon Fizes, baron de Sauves
22 October 1567
27 November 1579
Nicolas de Neufville, seigneur de Villeroy
28 October 1567
1588
Pierre Brûlart, seigneur de Genlis
8 June 1569
1588
Claude Pinart , seigneur de Comblisy and Crambailles
1570
1588
Louis de Revol
1 January 1589
17 September 1594
Nicolas de Neufville, seigneur de Villeroy
30 December 1594
9 August 1616
Armand Jean du Plessis, duc de Richelieu, Bishop of Luçon
30 November 1616
24 April 1617
Pierre Brulart, vicomte de Puysieux
24 April 1617
11 March 1626
Raymond Phelypeaux, seigneur d'Herbault
11 March 1626
2 May 1629
Claude Bouthillier
2 May 1629
18 March 1632
Léon Bouthillier, comte de Chavigny
18 March 1632
23 June 1643
Henri-Auguste de Loménie, comte de Brienne
23 June 1643
3 April 1663
Hugues de Lionne
3 April 1663
1 September 1671
Simon Arnauld, marquis de Pomponne
1 September 1671
18 November 1679
Charles Colbert, marquis de Croissy
12 February 1680
28 July 1696
Jean-Baptiste Colbert, marquis de Torcy
28 July 1696
22 September 1715
Nicolas du Blé, marquis d'Huxelles
23 September 1715
1 September 1718
Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs (1718–1791)
Name
from
to
Guillaume Dubois
24 September 1718
10 August 1723
Charles Jean-Baptiste Fleuriau, comte de Morville
16 August 1723
19 August 1727
Germain Louis Chauvelin
23 August 1727
20 February 1737
Jean-Jacques Amelot de Chaillou
22 February 1737
26 April 1744
Adrien Maurice, duc de Noailles
26 April 1744
19 November 1744
René de Voyer de Paulmy, marquis d'Argenson
19 November 1744
10 January 1747
Louis Philogène Brûlart, vicomte de Puisieulx
27 January 1747
9 September 1751
François Dominique de Barberie de Saint-Contest
11 September 1751
24 July 1754
Antoine Louis Rouillé
24 July 1754
28 June 1757
François Joachim de Pierre de Bernis
28 June 1757
9 October 1758
Étienne François, duc de Choiseul
3 December 1758
13 October 1761
César Gabriel de Choiseul-Chevigny, duc de Praslin
13 October 1761
10 April 1766
Étienne François, duc de Choiseul
10 April 1766
24 December 1770
Louis Phélypeaux, duc de La Vrillère
24 December 1770
6 June 1771
Emmanuel Armand de Vignerot du Plessis de Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon
6 June 1771
2 June 1774
Henri Léonard Jean Baptiste Bertin
2 June 1774
21 July 1774
Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes
21 July 1774
13 February 1787
Armand Marc, comte de Montmorin Saint-Hérem
14 February 1787
13 July 1789
Paul François de Quelen, duc de la Vauguyon
13 July 1789
16 July 1789
Armand Marc, comte de Montmorin Saint-Hérem
16 July 1789
29 November 1791
Minister of Foreign Affairs (1791–2007)
Consulate and First Empire
First Restoration and the Hundred Days
Second Restoration
Name
from
to
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, prince de Bénévent
9 July 1815
26 September 1815
Armand Emmanuel du Plessis, duc de Richelieu
26 September 1815
29 December 1818
Jean Joseph Paul Augustin, marquis Dessolles
29 December 1818
19 November 1819
Étienne Denis, baron Pasquier
19 November 1819
14 December 1821
Mathieu Jean Félicité, duc de Montmorency-Laval
14 December 1821
28 December 1822
François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand
28 December 1822
4 August 1824
Ange Hyacinthe Maxence, baron de Damas
4 August 1824
4 January 1828
Auguste, comte de La Ferronays
4 January 1828
24 April 1829
Anne Pierre Adrien, duc de Montmorency-Laval
24 April 1829
14 May 1829
Joseph-Marie, comte Portalis
14 May 1829
8 August 1829
Jules Armand Auguste Marie, prince de Polignac
8 August 1829
29 July 1830
Victor Louis Victurnien, duc de Mortemart
29 July 1830
Louis, baron Bignon
31 July 1830
1 August 1830
July Monarchy
Name
from
to
Jean-Baptiste, comte Jourdan
1 August 1830
11 August 1830
Louis, comte Molé
11 August 1830
2 November 1830
Nicolas Joseph, marquis Maison
2 November 1830
17 November 1830
Horace François Bastien, baron Sébastiani
17 November 1830
11 October 1832
Victor, duc de Broglie
11 October 1832
4 April 1834
Henri Gauthier, comte de Rigny
4 April 1834
10 November 1834
Charles Joseph, comte Bresson
10 November 1834
18 November 1834
Henri Gauthier, comte de Rigny
18 November 1834
12 March 1835
Victor, duc de Broglie
12 March 1835
22 February 1836
Adolphe Thiers
22 February 1836
6 September 1836
Louis, comte Molé
6 September 1836
31 March 1839
Louis Napoléon Lannes, duc de Montebello
31 March 1839
12 May 1839
Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, duc de Dalmatie
12 May 1839
1 March 1840
Adolphe Thiers
1 March 1840
29 October 1840
François Guizot
29 October 1840
23 February 1848
Second Republic
Second Empire
Third Republic
Vichy Regime
Free French Commissioners
Fourth Republic
Fifth Republic
Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (2007–2012)
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development (2012–2017)
Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs (2017–present)
Notes
References
External links
Head of government Ministerial portfolios Former portfolios
Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania Former
Africa Americas Asia Europe Organisations Former 1 No diplomatic relations with France, functions as an informal diplomatic mission
Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania Former