The annual Conference of the Heads of German Missions, or Ambassadors Conference for short, ended yesterday after four days of intensive work. Over 200 ambassadors and consuls general working around the world met at the Federal Foreign Office headquarters in Berlin. Together, they discussed current and future challenges in the foreign service as well as German foreign policy goals and their implementation. Also on the agenda were new skills that are becoming increasingly important for shaping foreign policy.

A range of workshops offered a chance to test practical approaches to actively shaping and explaining German foreign policy. There was a particular focus on modernising diplomatic instruments – from updating communication strategies to using artificial intelligence. The heads of German missions abroad, our “eyes and ears” around the world, held in-depth discussions of how they can work even more effectively and use their resources even more efficiently.

Federal Chancellor Merz opened the conference on Monday together with Foreign Minister Wadephul. This made Friedrich Merz the first Federal Chancellor to attend the Ambassadors Conference at the Federal Foreign Office since Gerhard Schröder in 2000. The topics were dominated by the foreign policy issues of the day, from the security implications of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, to the situation in the Middle East, to Germany’s candidacy for the UN Security Council. There was also discussion of how our aims of strengthening security, preserving freedom and increasing our prosperity can be more pragmatically implemented together with global partners.

One fixture of every Ambassadors Conference is the Business Forum, where the representatives of the missions abroad talk to representatives of German business – this year over 600 – about foreign trade and investment policy. Their discussions reflected the growing challenges facing German companies internationally, from unfair competition to new customs barriers. Foreign Minister Wadephul emphasised that a Zeitenwende, a turning point, is now needed in the field of foreign trade and investment policy as well. That means diversifying, minimising risks and placing the German economy and its supply chains on a broader and better footing.

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At the beginning of the Business Forum, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen spoke about the importance of a robust Europe – especially in the Baltic Sea region, which is increasingly exposed to hybrid threats from Russia. In her speech, she underlined the need for joint European security efforts to defend our European way of life and doing business.

The annual gathering of the heads of German missions abroad in Berlin is an opportunity for networking and discussion for our colleagues working around the world, making it indispensable in successfully shaping German foreign policy. Ultimately, foreign policy is made by people, and is rooted in trust between them.

We look forward to the 2026 Ambassadors Conference.