What we do

With its offices in Berlin and Bonn and a network of around 230 missions abroad, the Federal Foreign Office maintains Germany’s relations with other countries as well as with international and supra-national organisations.

This work concerns much more than just political contacts among governments and parliaments. Because Germany and German society are enmeshed in ever-growing international networks, the Federal Foreign Office promotes intensive interaction and exchange with the world in the fields of business, culture, science and technology, the environment, development issues and many more areas.

How we work

Shaping globalisation is one of the most important tasks of diplomacy. In this area, the Federal Foreign Office works closely with partners from civil society, including business associations, unions and humanitarian and human rights organisations. Through its embassies and consulates-general, it also communicates with the public abroad in order to convey a positive, up-to-date image of Germany. We are supported in this pursuit by Honorary Consuls, volunteers who work on the ground in host countries.

Today, many of the world’s challenges can no longer be met by individual countries and must instead be tackled in concert with numerous international partners. Such challenges include regional conflicts, terrorist threats, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the violation of human rights.

Germany’s participation in international bodies is therefore becoming ever more important. Germany’s Presidency of the Council of Europe ended in May 2021 and it held a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2019/2020. Germany is assuming the Presidency of the Group of Seven (G7) in 2022. It is also working to strengthen the European Union. In the second half of 2020, Germany assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Here, too, the Federal Foreign Office coordinated German interests and formulated positions on various topics with respect to a unified German foreign and security policy.

The Federal Foreign Office on Social Media

In order to make foreign policy even more transparent and to enable those interested in politics to learn more about foreign policy issues, many top officials as well as units within the Ministry communicate on X, Instagram and LinkedIn. You can find a list of accounts here.