— Ch. 1 · Ministry Origins And Evolution —
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia).
~3 min read · Ch. 1 of 5
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation traces its lineage to the Soviet era. It continues the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. That earlier body operated under the supervision of the Soviet Ministry of External Relations. The transition marked a shift from communist ideology to modern state diplomacy. In 1991, Pyotr Aven took office as First Deputy Foreign Minister on October 19. This appointment signaled the beginning of a new administrative chapter for Russian foreign policy. The ministry absorbed the responsibilities of its predecessor while adapting to a changing global landscape.
Organizational Structure And Departments
Presidential Decree 1163 issued on the 11th of September 2007, reorganized the central office into thirty-nine departments. Each department employs between thirty and sixty diplomats who handle specific regional or functional tasks. Territorial divisions manage relations with countries grouped by conventional regions like Europe or Asia. Functional divisions focus on assigned duties such as trade or security agreements. Four additional divisions operate outside this main structure. These include the Main Production and Commercial Department which services diplomatic staff. The Diplomatic Academy handles training while the Moscow State Institute of International Relations manages higher education. Ambassadors for special assignments report directly to deputy ministers rather than standard chains of command. One ambassador focuses specifically on the Georgian-Abkhaz settlement issue.