Foreign Minister
The Foreign Minister is a position in the Royal Council of the Grand Duke of Westarctica tasked with handling the Foreign relations of Westarctica.
Westarctica's most recent Foreign Minister was the Baron of Dorrel. The post is currently vacant.
History of the role
During the early days of Westarctica, from 2001 - 2006, Grand Duke Travis eschewed the idea of anyone aside from himself handling the foreign affairs of Westarctica. Interacting with foreign leaders and representing Westarctica on the international stage was considered a core duty of the Grand Duke, as well as being one of his favorite parts of the job.
In 2006, after Travis abdicated the throne, his successor, Grand Duke Philip appointed Lady Thurston (who had previously held the post Minister of Theocratic Affairs) to the post of Minister of Affairs, which combined the duties of Foreign Affairs and the Interior. From this time forward, Lady Thurston handled relations with other nations and pursued an aggressive outreach to protect Westarctica's interests.
In 2008, when Grand Duke Jon-Lawrence assumed the throne of Westarctica, few of the existing ministers of the Grand Ducal Cabinet remained in service to the crown and the Grand Duke himself once again handled foreign affairs. However, as the Siple War broke out, Wolf Tulier, the Minister of Defense attempted to fulfill the mission of the foreign ministry by negotiating with the various micronations allied against Westarctica.
Creation of the office
In 2018, after a significant increase in citizens and nobles from German-speaking nations, Grand Duke Travis recognized the need for Westarctica to have an increased presence in international locations. As part of the effort to manage what was hoped to be a large network of international representatives and diplomats, the Grand Duke created the Foreign Ministry and appointed the Duke of Goldstream as the first Foreign Minister. He held this position until his resignation in February 2021.
Duties
The Foreign Minister's primary function is managing the Honorary Consular Corps. The Honorary Consuls are responsible for representing Westarctica's interests in their home countries as well as interacting with citizens of the nation on behalf of the Grand Duke. As part of his duties, the Foreign Minister engages in routine travel to meet with other diplomats and represent Westarctica abroad.
The Foreign Minister is also responsible for organizing the Chiefs of Mission Meeting.
List of Foreign Ministers
| Portrait | Name | From |
|---|---|---|
|
Duke of Goldstream | February 2018 - February 2021 |
|
Baron of Dorrel | February 2021 - November 2022 |