Annalena Baerbock,

State Secretary Baumann,

Mr  Tietz,

Ministers of State,

Fellow parliamentarians from the German Bundestag,

Ladies and gentlemen,

But, above all, esteemed members of the Federal Foreign Office!

Moin!

You will have read that I hail from the real north, from Schleswig-Holstein.

“Moin” doesn’t mean “good morning”, as you might be forgiven for assuming, but rather “nice” or “good”.

And that describes how I feel here today.

It’s a wonderful moment, and it feels good to be here today with you, my new colleagues, as I take up my new office.

Annalena Baerbock,

I’d like to start by expressing my sincere thanks for the excellent handover of this ministry and for all the preparations that have been made.

And, of course, I’d like in this context to mention you first of all, Annalena.

We saw just now once again how passionate you are about your job, how you’re still “on fire”, full of ideas and suggestions. You were also referring to me a bit just now, if I understood correctly. I will have to ask the Minister of State from the CSU whether that was what was meant by the colour.

You’re taking up a new office and heading to a new city. You more than deserve this – a little time to discover something new with your two daughters and switch off for a while.

And yet, of course, the UN is a place where you have to work very hard and need a great deal of optimism.

That’s why my wife, who also came up with the tie suggestion, had this excellent idea. She gave it to us as a family gift last Christmas, and now I’m giving it to you: a “Hoptimist”. It may not be in the original UN colours, but if you’re feeling frustrated, which is said to happen at the UN every now and again, then you just do this on your desk... and it’ll smile at you. And if that’s not enough, we’re in touch via Signal. So we can also do video calls. We can have a video chat and I can try to beam at you like that and cheer you up again.

Annalena Baerbock, thank you so very much for your commitment to Germany’s foreign service, for your work as Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, and for your personal dedication. With a nod to the Dalli Dalli TV show, I’d say “Das war Spitze!” (that was great).

But I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the entire Minister’s Office, which made the transition very smooth for me, and in particular to the two State Secretaries, Ms Baumann and Mr Bagger with whom I had many good discussions. Our paths will now diverge somewhat, but we’ll keep in touch. You’ll be working in places where, as I understand it, you’d like to be working. And it wasn’t a given that you would do all of this with a certain understanding towards me and great loyalty to this office and this country, and that we were able to prepare everything so well. I would like to offer both of you my special thanks for this.

I’d also like to extend my thanks to State Secretary Jennifer Morgan, who took up a post that somewhat surprised me at the time. I now find it to be a most appropriate office. And I very much regret that we’re losing this area to the Ministry for the Environment. In my view, this wasn’t the coalition’s very best decision. That’s how it goes sometimes. But I wish you personally all the very best and God’s blessing. Many thanks for your outstanding dedication.

As this was mentioned in one of the speeches just now, you see before you a CDU politician, a CDU Foreign Minister. I was three years old when Gerhard Schröder, yes, that was his name, held this office. There’s not very much for me to go on here. But it goes without saying that foreign policy experts from the CDU are nothing out of the ordinary. When I try to analyse this with a little critical distance, I see that the CDU, in the West at any rate – this wasn’t always possible in the East – is a party that pursues a policy of integration with the West, a party of freedom. Konrad Adenauer once said that “we choose freedom.” A party that has emphasised the importance of transatlantic relations and one that has committed itself to the unity and strengthening of Europe.

And it was in this spirit that foreign policy experts such as Konrad Adenauer, Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel set about their work, and I want now to make my modest contribution to this. But, to put it in a nutshell, I see myself quite simply as Germany’s Foreign Minister – nothing more and nothing less. That’s the public duty that I’m seeking to fulfil. And for that I need your support and your guidance, and I look forward to the task ahead.

Three fundamental ideas must be centre-stage over the next three years:

Firstly, we must consistently gear German foreign policy, and therefore the actions of the Federal Foreign Office, towards the interests of Germany and Europe. This will require focusing on what matters, namely safeguarding the security, freedom and prosperity of Germany and Europe. This will remain the core task of the Federal Foreign Office, and it is also our absolute core competence. And therein lies an opportunity to take a fresh look at issues or examine them more closely. We must have the strength to acknowledge the most important issues as such. This doesn’t automatically mean that other issues are unimportant, however. But the entire spectrum of our activities must be determined and focused.

In concrete terms, I’m talking about a foreign policy guided by security, interests and economic considerations. That’s the primary focus. At the same time, Resolution 1325 with the women, peace and security agenda, the protection of vulnerable groups around the world, and climate and sustainability will, of course, continue to be important components. However, in view of the current geopolitical realities and crises worldwide, I’m keen to set some quite sober priorities.

I know that the Staff Council has repeatedly raised this issue and that we all need to take into account workloads and human resources, which are, at the end of the day, finite. I’d like to work with everyone in leadership positions to ensure that we focus and pool our resources, thereby also conserving them.

Secondly, my focus is on maintaining, rebuilding and expanding active partnerships in a spirit of trust around the world. For years, in conversations with foreign interlocutors, I’ve heard the desire time and again – which has increasingly become an urgent request, if not a demand – for more German responsibility, more moderation and also more leadership.

That’s why we must do more to ensure that our partnerships around the world function as well as possible. And that, too, requires a clear vision. As our country’s interests are at stake, German foreign policy has the fundamental task of establishing and maintaining contacts around the world, including, as a matter of principle, with those who think differently from us in many respects. In concrete terms, that means that we should remain approachable. We should seek to engage in respectful dialogue. This lies at the heart of diplomacy and the work of diplomats.

That’s what we’re good at. That’s what we must do, even if it’s unpleasant at times. And even if it doesn’t immediately earn us applause.

Thirdly, I’d like to see a new focus in our culture and self-image. Not only at the Federal Foreign Office, but in the administration as a whole, in the actions of the state in our country, I see a problem with the fact that we’re increasingly focused on optimising processes.

What I feel is lacking – and I’m not sure whether this is the case here, but I’d like to explore this further – is the following: are we fully focused on the result, on the original goal? I believe that the Federal Foreign Office and German foreign policy must be unconditionally results-oriented. That’s why I want to call for and promote an active, hands-on approach and the necessary assumption of responsibility on the part of each and every member of the Federal Foreign Office. That’s why we must indeed, as has been mentioned, reduce unnecessary red tape at the Federal Foreign Office – in other words, continue what has already been started and streamline structures and processes. To try to get down to business, in a culture of engaged togetherness and involvement, rather than complicating and slowing things down with turf wars.

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed colleagues, in order to achieve these and other goals, we need an excellently positioned foreign service that operates in a state-of-the-art manner and delivers the highest level of expertise.

We, you, can do this. Annalena Baerbock rightly said that, as did State Secretary Baumann. I know what awaits me here – an absolutely excellent, highly motivated and unconditionally loyal staff. And I promise you that you can also mention the word loyalty with regard to me, because it’s always a two-way street.

Loyalty must be practised in both directions, towards you, naturally also by all those who bear leadership responsibility, first and foremost, by me. I’m very much looking forward to working with you in this spirit.

Nothing works without you, because diplomacy depends on human contacts and dialogue. In my opinion, even the most modern technology can only support this. Ultimately, it is you, the embassies and consulates scattered across the four corners of the globe, who must communicate and take action.

Understanding countries, political systems, cultures and people all over the world, treating them with respect and fundamental esteem every day, always knowing what our own interests and values are, whether in pleasant or difficult parts of the world – that’s what makes the Federal Foreign Office unique. Even in the most serious crises, you’re often the last to leave and often the first to return. We all have images of dramatic situations in our minds. And you mentioned some of them, Annalena; the evacuations, Kabul, for instance, but we have also seen this in Africa.

I want this to be recognised. I want our country to see and acknowledge this. I believe that this deserves recognition not only from me as Germany’s top diplomat, but also from our country. This is outstanding, self-sacrificing service, and, unfortunately, we will have to expect such service of you in other situations. Thank you very much for what you do, for your willingness, for this sacrifice. This cannot be taken for granted and is sometimes overlooked.

It applies in particular to your entire social environment, including your family and friends, and has an impact on your lifestyle. But you will continue to be called upon in this regard. I don’t wish to spare you this, but rather I see it as the strength of the foreign service, which we need to bring more strongly to the fore once again. This has to happen out in the field. Ladies and gentlemen, you can judge me and everyone else by this. We are the foreign service. That’s why we will be increasing the number of staff members abroad in the coming years. We need to be on the ground. That’s where our skills can be put to most effective use.

When you’re abroad, you’re often not alone, but you’re there together with the Bundeswehr, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Ministry of the Interior, the police, the Federal Intelligence Service and many other governmental and non-governmental organisations.

I’m aware of the excellent cooperation on the ground, which I hold in very high regard. This is the only way we can achieve good results and work together.

I will, for my part, seek to expand this cooperation. After all, in our current situation, there’s no more time for ministerial egoism. We’re committed to a fully coordinated foreign policy, and I want to exemplify this in my daily work and would like to ask you kindly to do the same. I, all of us, need your advice and expertise now on how to implement these ideas. What is more, we need your ideas. That’s what I’m interested in. That’s why I intend, here at the Federal Foreign Office and at many missions abroad, to talk to as many of you as possible, just as Annalena has done, and not to focus on who’s responsible right now for what or whether it’s that person’s job right now to speak to the Minister.

I want to hear your opinions and impressions – about what we’re doing, how we’re doing it and the direction that we’re going in. We must at any rate take the opportunity at the Ambassadors Conference in September to ensure that this isn’t just some process that ends up going nowhere, but that it has a first checkpoint and is able to demonstrate some initial results.

We must use the Ambassadors Conference in September for this purpose – to address the questions I presented. But as I said, I also want to hear further suggestions for conducting initial results-oriented debates and weighing up concepts. We should have joint operational proposals ready by the end of the year.

Esteemed colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, the Swiss newspaper “Tages-Anzeiger” wrote the following last week: “The tasks facing German foreign policy are Herculean.”

As you can see, I’m no Hercules. I’m 1.70 m tall. But even Hercules wouldn’t be able to accomplish this task alone. That’s why I’m glad that we’ve got you.

Each and every one of you counts. This includes the tremendous work ethic of the entire Federal Foreign Office and an excellent leadership team. This includes the three new Ministers of State, Serap Güler, Gunther Krichbaum and Florian Hahn. I look forward to working with them.

Together, we’re a strong team. I’m looking forward to working with Bernhard Kotsch and Géza von Geyr, who will now be serving as State Secretaries at this Ministry.

We’ve known each other for many years and they both enjoy my trust; they’re experienced and seasoned helmsmen. Here’s to working with both of you and with the entire Federal Foreign Office.

Thank you very much for your willingness to take on these roles. Mr Zühlke, who was mentioned earlier, will have to hurry me along so that I don’t get my first dressing down, as they would say at the Bundeswehr, for being late to the Cabinet meeting.

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed colleagues, you now know who and what to expect. I wish us all success and God’s blessing for the years ahead.

Let’s work together with passion and joy to ensure that our country and Europe can continue to live in security, freedom and prosperity.