100th Anniversary of a Modern Belarusian Diplomatic Service

The year 2019 marked the 100th Anniversary of a Modern Belarusian Diplomatic Service, which history started with the formation of the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Soviet Republic of Belorussia.

The starting point of our institution’s modern history coincides with the very first mentioning of the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Belorussia (SFA SSRB) in press. A short article was published in the newspaper “Zvyazda” on January 22, 1919, which stated that “the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs started functioning” and was located in Minsk, Koydanovskaya str., 21 (nowadays – Revolutsyonnaya str., 15)

According to archive documents, a small, consisting of 12 people, diplomatic service was headed by a member of the Provisional Workers-Peasants Soviet Government of the Belarusian Republic, Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Vsevolod Falsky, born in Loshitsa village, Minsk region.

With the formation of the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Belarus in 1990, national diplomacy continued to develop together with the young state.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been and remains at the “frontline” of the struggle for real independence, increase of the role of Belarus in the world. Foreign Ministry seeks to implement effective foreign policy and foreign economic course set by the President.

Over the years of independence, the Republic of Belarus has achieved significant success on the international arena, became a participant of new integration projects, expanded the range of its’ foreign partners and allies, opened, mastered and secured new promising markets.
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On December 20, 2018 a solemn ceremony of raising the flag of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took place, which gave a symbolic start of a very special year for the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2019, Foreign Ministry will mark an important historical milestone that is the 100th anniversary of the Belarusian Diplomatic Service.

As V.Makei stressed in his statement, for the Ministry, the flag is, first of all, a symbol of patriotism, devotion and loyalty of each Belarusian diplomat to his native state and people.

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On January 4, 2019 Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Belarus hosted a round table dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Belarusian diplomatic service to be celebrated on January 22, 2019.

The participants of the very intensive and committed debates paid their attention to key historic facts, periods of formation and development of the Belarusian diplomatic service, the issue of setting the date of the new professional holiday in Belarus that is a diplomat’s day, and also mentioned in retrospect deeper historic roots of the national diplomacy.