Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (German translation: "Office of the Foreign and Commonwealth ", generally FCO abbreviated, usually as the Foreign Office called) is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom . It is in charge of planning, organizing and executing British foreign policy and is under the direction of a cabinet minister , the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs , commonly known as the Foreign Secretary .
The acting foreign minister has been Dominic Raab since July 24, 2019 . The official residence of a British Foreign Secretary is Chevening House in Kent .
history
Emergence
The FCO was formed in 1968 from the brief Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs . The Commonwealth Office was founded in 1966 to merge the Commonwealth Ministry and the Colonial Ministry.
The Foreign Office , from which today's FCO emerged, was formed in 1782.
History of the building
The present building of the FCO hosted four different authorities in the past: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( Foreign Office ), the India Office (Ministry of British India ), the Colonial Office and the Home Office . It was built from 1861 to 1868 by the architect George Gilbert Scott , who was inspired by both Italian architecture and Gothic motifs in his designs .
In 1997 a 17-year renovation that cost a total of £ 100 million was completed. The splendid Locarno Suite has been faithfully restored as a conference room. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is open to the public on an open day each year .
List of FCO buildings
- FCO main building, Whitehall , King Charles St, London.
- Kirkland House, 22-24 Whitehall, London.
- Old Admiralty Building, Whitehall, London.
- Hanslope Park, Hanslope, Milton Keynes.
See also
Web links
Coordinates: 51 ° 30 '9.7 " N , 0 ° 7' 39.7" W.