Activities of the ukrainian foreign policy department of the Central Rada during 1917-1918

Abstract

The purpose of the article is the history of the formation and functioning of the Foreign Policy Department of the Ukrainian People's Republic during the Central Rada era during 1917-1918, as one of the bodies of the state administration system of Ukrainian statehood. The scientific novelty of this article lies in the formulation of previously unknown provisions on diplomacy, foreign policy, international relations and the activities of the first Ukrainian Foreign Policy Department of the UNR. In particular, this is an analysis of previously unstudied archival documents of the Central State Archive of Higher Authorities and Administration of Ukraine relating to the creation and activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Ukrainian People's Republic. Conclusions. During September-October 1917, the formation of the General Secretariat for International Affairs began. At a meeting of the General Secretariat on October 19, 1917, the issue of a trip to Petrograd at the call of the Provisional Government to clarify the political situation in Ukraine was discussed. The transformation of the General Secretariat for Interethnic Affairs into the Secretariat for International Affairs was officially announced at the VIII session of the Ukrainian Central Rada on December 13, 1917. At the beginning of 1918, the General Secretariat was transformed into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Ukrainian People's Republic. As for the main areas of activity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the draft organization of the Ministry sets out the main tasks in four points: managing political relations of the Ukrainian People's Republic with other states; protecting the interests of Ukrainian citizens abroad and foreign citizens in Ukraine; developing relevant draft laws; managing international treaties (in the original document — "to preserve treaties") and various acts and documents regarding relations with other countries.