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Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

United Kingdom
Secretary of State for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
Boris Johnson FCA.jpg
Incumbent
Boris Johnson

since 13 July 2016
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Style The Right Honourable
(Formal prefix)
Foreign Secretary
Member of British Cabinet
Privy Council
National Security Council
Council of the European Union
Reports to The Prime Minister
Residence
Seat Westminster, London
Appointer The British Monarch
on advice of the Prime Minister
Term length No fixed term
Inaugural holder Charles James Fox
Formation 27 March 1782
Website www.gov.uk/government/ministers/foreign-secretary

The Foreign Secretary, known in full as Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, is a senior official within the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The office is a cabinet-level position, and is considered one of the Great Offices of State. It is considered a position similar to that of Foreign Minister in other countries.

The Secretary of State's remit includes: relations with foreign countries, matters pertaining to the Commonwealth of Nations and the Overseas Territories in addition to the promotion of British interests abroad. The Foreign Secretary also has ministerial oversight for the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

The current Foreign Secretary is former London Mayor Boris Johnson, who was appointed by Prime Minister Theresa May in July 2016.

The position of 'Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs' was created in the British governmental reorganisation of 1782, in which the Northern and Southern Departments became the Home and Foreign Offices, respectively. The position of 'Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs' came into existence in 1968 with the merger of the functions of 'Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs' and 'Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs' into a single Department of State. The India Office was a predecessor department of the Foreign Office.


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