Federation Department of the Exterior

The Great Seal of the United Federation of Planets.

The Federation Department of the Exterior is the executive agency within the Federation government charged with issues relating to the Federation's foreign policy. The Department of the Exterior's agencies include the Federation Diplomatic Corps, the organization of Federation Ambassadors. The Department of the Exterior works closely with the Federation External Affairs Council, and in particular with that council's chair, Federation Councillor T'Latrek of Vulcan.

In 2380, the Federation Secretary of the Exterior was Safranski of Rigel. Under Federation President Min Zife, Ythrilasifsa sh'Zathrosia of Andor served as the head of the Department of the Exterior. (ST novel: Articles of the Federation)

In 2381, the Department of the Exterior worked with Starfleet during the Borg invasion. (ST - Destiny novel: Mere Mortals)

In 2383, Benjamin Sisko sent the Department of the Exterior a diplomatic report on the USS Robinson's visit to the world of the Vahni Vahltupali. (ST - Typhon Pact novel: Plagues of Night)

In the 23rd century, the Federation's foreign ministry was known as the Federation Department of State. (TNG novel: The Genesis Wave, Book 1)

The Federation Department of the Exterior seems to be the fictional counterpart of a foreign ministry^WP such as the United Kingdom Foreign Office^WP or the United States Department of State^WP. The Genesis Wave, Book 1 refers to the Federation's foreign minister in 2286 as being the "Secretary of State;" it is conjectured that the Department of State was at some point renamed the Department of the Exterior.

Executive departments and cabinet-level agencies of the United Federation of Planets
Agriculture • Commerce • Defense • Exterior • Housing • Interstellar Travel • Science • Technology • Temporal Investigations • Travel independent cabinet-level agency: Office of the Federation Security Advisor