First, let me say many thanks to all the rapporteurs for the constructive discussions that have already taken place ahead of the drafting of the budget. We will continue and further intensify these talks.

Parliament is where the final decisions on budgets of the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Government are taken. I gladly accept the recommendations that we’ve already received here. And I will be at your side when efforts focus on how this draft budget, which indeed imposes renewed painful cuts on the Federal Foreign Office, can be improved.

I will not deny that our Ministry, too, must contribute to Federal Government’s budgetary consolidation. We’ve already cut 250 posts at the Federal Foreign Office. Let me mention in this regard that other Ministries are seeing a substantial increase in staffing. We have carried out a structural reform at our Head Office, in the course of which we have merged Divisions and cut a substantial number of positions. We are living up to our responsibility.

Yet, ladies and gentlemen, I must also take this opportunity to point out that anyone who is asking us to issue visas more swiftly – which is also in the economic interest of our country, of our entrepreneurs, who are expecting to connect with trading partners and to hire skilled workers – they must also allocate the necessary posts to us, so that staff with decision-making authority in consular matters can be hired. Providing us with the necessary positions is also a matter of promoting the German economy.

Furthermore, the ability to engage in diplomatic work is at stake. This can only be done with people on the ground in the respective locations. Diplomacy is people business. It is done face to face, through in-person talks. That is why I have decided that, especially in this area, there will be no cuts; we will instead maintain our presence at our missions abroad.

And here I would like to make a point that should not be forgotten in all of the large political debates that we must of course be having: I want to put in a word for our Federal Foreign Office staff. Over the past few weeks and months, we have had to bring back many of them to Germany – from Tehran, from Baghdad and from Erbil, to name only a few places, as well as from countries in Latin America. We had to do this due to wars, conflicts and other situations that posed a risk to their lives and physical safety. That is why I want to sincerely thank all those Federal Foreign Office staff who are working in these places!

In this connection, I also want to sincerely ask that this budgetary debate reexamine the funds that would go towards the refurbishment of buildings. Many have heard the famous example of our consulate building in New Delhi, where our staff – some of you have been there yourselves – have to sit next to perpendicular supports, worrying whether or not the roof will literally cave in on them. These are not reasonable working conditions. I therefore would like to ask you to reconsider these funds and see if an increase is not possible. Because we owe it to our staff to give them genuinely good working conditions, and that’s something we are currently not always able to do. So I want to say many thanks again to all Federal Foreign Office staff!

The next item is humanitarian assistance – a topic that has also rightfully been raised. I have repeatedly made the point, also to this audience, that there should be no cuts in this area. I will address this point again during the parliamentary consultations and, in parallel, I will naturally hold further discussions with the Federal Minister of Finance on this matter. Regrettably, these funds have been cut once again. Germany remains ethically obliged to provide humanitarian assistance. Incidentally, the need is increasing. I was able to grant an additional 50 million euro in assistance for Ukraine.

But if you look at the crises and conflicts throughout the world, and when you see that the southern hemisphere, in particular Latin America, will most likely be suffering the consequences of an El Niño, then you must recognise that we are being confronted with new challenges there. Humanitarian spending is indeed in Germany’s interest. Every time we provide financial support locally in response to crises and needs, we enable people to stay where they actually live and we thereby prevent migration. This is a good investment, and it is in both Germany’s and Europe’s interest, dear colleagues.

Let me repeat: It is of course the Federal Government’s policy that we are standing firmly by Ukraine’s side. Dear colleagues, on this point I must reiterate this with firm conviction and also under the impression of my recent trip to Ukraine in the fifth year of the war.

I was there only a few days ago. I saw how, in a city like Kharkiv, students returned to in-person classes and how a people is both bent on defending itself and refuses to subjugate itself to this war of aggression – we must continue to stand by Ukraine’s side. We owe it to the people there; we owe it to the peace architecture in Europe. This is both a safe and necessary investment in peace and security, also for Germany, ladies and gentlemen.

At the same time, I want to point out – because you may not know this – that we are using all diplomatic channels not only to arrive at a solution for the main conflict, but also for example to enable grain to be exported from Ukraine. I discussed this again only yesterday with my Ukrainian colleague, I discussed it on Sunday with my colleague from Saudi Arabia, and tomorrow it will be one of the topics I discuss with my colleague from the United Arab Emirates. We are trying to find a way to help Russia and Ukraine come to an agreement that will allow for grain to be transported – yet, currently, Russia is not prepared to do so. I hope this will become possible.

I only want to point out that this hurts Russia, it hurts Ukraine, and of course it also hurts the countries for which grain is destined – for example Egypt, which receives one-third of its grain imports from Ukraine. If these deliveries do not go through, we have created another cause of displacement, because famine will spread through the country.

Therefore, we stand firmly by the side of Ukraine – and at the same time we are doing everything we can to help bring about a peaceful end to this conflict. So far, Russia has caused these efforts to fail.

Thank you.