Ministry of Defence

This ministry is part of Vekllei

The Ministry of Defence is responsible for the Armed Forces of Vekllei, as well as its civil defence organisations that include both its police services and emergency response capabilities. In this sense, the Ministry of Defence exercises both a military and civilian role, and its devolved nature under Commonwealth federalism means it has a broad mandate between republics.

The ministry in peacetime does not exercise command authority of its constituent organisations directly, as the military and civil defence forces are autonomous organisations. Common responsibilities of the ministry include:

• Development of defence policy and planning.
• Recruitment of citizens and foreigners into the armed forces.
• Equipment procurement and administration.
• Conducting scientific military research.
• Policing and security of Vekllei republics, territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.

The Ministry of Defence is led by the State Secretary of Defence, who is a member of the Cabinet. It is represented in the Commonwealth Council by the First Minister of Defence.

Aspects of Vekllei’s police and military are devolved, and the ministry has a key role in coordinating them centrally and establishing standards of service.