МІНІСТЕРСТВО ЗАКОРДОННИХ СПРАВ В СИСТЕМІ ДИПЛОМАТИЧНОЇ СЛУЖБИ УКРАЇНИ

The article is devoted to the study of the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to represent and protect national interests in the conditions of transformations in the domestic and international environment, which is a source not only of threats but also of additional opportunities for further integration into the global economic and political space. It has been established that the current organizational structure and functions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are determined by the need to activate and consolidate the support of other states through diplomatic means and methods. It has been determined that limited budgetary resources do not allow for a significant increase in funding for institutional support of Ukraine's foreign relations. Despite this, the diplomatic network abroad is being successfully expanded and the institutional capacity of the Ministry is being strengthened. Special attention is paid to studying the role and functions of the Department of State Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is responsible for compliance with diplomatic protocol and etiquette in the development of intergovernmental communications. The main functions of the Department of State Protocol are protocol support for foreign delegations official visits to Ukraine; accreditation of diplomatic missions in Ukraine, control over the granting of their diplomatic privileges and immunities; establishing relations with the diplomatic corps in Ukraine; coordinating issues of diplomatic etiquette and interaction between the MFA and foreign diplomats. Based on the expert assessment of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, it has been proven that the activities of the Ministry are productive and effective. The main achievements of Ukrainian diplomacy are defined as follows: scaling up international support for the Ukrainian armed forces; making progress towards the country's integration into the EU and NATO; increasing international financial support for Ukraine's economic stability and energy security; steady progress in increasing international pressure on the aggressor country and bringing it to justice; expanding Ukraine's diplomatic presence in the world, etc.