Julie Bishop says she's proud to be Australia's first female foreign minister and will work to promote and protect the nation's interests.
Ms Bishop was sworn in as Australia's 38th foreign minister at Government House in Canberra on Wednesday.
"I am proud to be Australia's first female foreign minister and I look forward to promoting and protecting the interests of Australia and Australians," she said in a statement.
She says she will lead Australian efforts to strengthen relations with key partners and drive Australia's contribution to global and regional forums.
"It is vital that Australia's foreign policy is positioned to take advantage of the global shift in economic power to Asia," she said.
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Ms Bishop will embark on her first overseas trip on Saturday to attend a United Nations meeting in New York.
