){kind=logo} Logo of the MFA | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 9 August 1965 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Singapore |
| Headquarters | 1 Sherwood Road, Singapore 248163 |
| Motto | Establishing Our Place in the World |
| Employees | 1,616 (2018) [1] |
| Annual budget |  466.70 million (est) SGD (2019) [1] |
| Ministers responsible |
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| Agency executives |
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| Child agency |
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| Website | www |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Abbreviation: MFA; Malay: Kementerian Ehwal Luar Negeri; Chinese: 新加坡外交部; Tamil: வெளிநாட்டு அலுவல்கள் அமைச்சு) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for conducting and managing diplomatic relations between Singapore and other countries and regions. It is headed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the office currently held by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
History
The Ministry was established on 9 August 1965.
Responsibilities
The MFA provides consular assistance to Singaporeans travelling, working and studying overseas.
Organisational structure
The Ministry now has 50 overseas missions including 7 High Commissions, 21 Embassies, 4 Permanent Missions to the United Nations, and 17 consulates. Singapore has appointed 31 Honorary Consuls-General/Consuls abroad and has 46 non-resident Ambassadors and High Commissioners based in Singapore.
The MFA is currently divided into 11 Directorates which deal with political and economic matters, and 7 Directorates which oversee matters relating to protocol, consular issues and the Singapore Cooperation Programme among others. The Corporate Affairs Directorate oversees organisational and resource management while the Human Resource Directorate and Diplomatic Academy manage the development of personnel and training.
Impact
Singapore maintains diplomatic relations with 188 countries. In Singapore, there are 70 resident foreign Embassies and High Commissions, 43 foreign Consulates, and 11 International Organisations based in Singapore. In addition, more than 60 non-resident foreign Ambassadors are accredited to Singapore.
Ministers
The Ministry is headed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is appointed as part of the Cabinet of Singapore. The position is currently held by Vivian Balakrishnan from the People's Action Party.[3]
Key
List of ministers
| Portrait | Name | Party | Took office | Left office | Tenure | Prime Minister | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Sinnathamby Rajaratnam | PAP | 9 August 1965 | 30 May 1980 | 14 years, 295 days | Lee Kuan Yew | |
| | Suppiah Dhanabalan | PAP | 1 June 1980 | 12 September 1988 | 8 years, 103 days | Lee Kuan Yew | |
) | Wong Kan Seng | PAP | 13 September 1988 | 1 January 1994 | 5 years, 110 days | Lee Kuan Yew Goh Chok Tong | |
.jpg')) | Shunmugam Jayakumar | PAP | 2 January 1994 | 12 August 2004 | 10 years, 223 days | Goh Chok Tong | |
) | George Yeo | PAP | 12 August 2004 | 20 May 2011 | 6 years, 281 days | Lee Hsien Loong | |
) | Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam | PAP | 21 May 2011 | 30 September 2015 | 4 years, 132 days | Lee Hsien Loong | |
.jpg')) | Vivian Balakrishnan | PAP | 1 October 2015 | present | 5 years, 137 days | Lee Hsien Loong | [3][4] |
See also
- List of current foreign ministers
- Foreign relations of Singapore
- List of diplomatic missions of Singapore
References
- ^ a b https://www.singaporebudget.gov.sg/docs/default-source/budget_2019/download/pdf/33-MFA-2019.pdf
- ^ "Changes in Permanent Secretary Appointments - 1 November 2019". Public Service Division. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ a b Ong, Justin (28 September 2015). "Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announces Singapore's new Cabinet". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ Mahmud, Aqil Haziq (25 July 2020). "PM Lee announces new Cabinet; 6 office holders promoted, 3 retirements". CNA. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
External links
- Official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs