Foreign Minister Heiko Maas will open the Business Forum at the sixteenth Ambassadors Conference on Tuesday, 28 August.

The Business Forum is the most important meeting of the year between foreign policymakers and the business sector. Over 1000 representatives of large concerns, small and medium-sized enterprises, start ups and trade associations will meet the some 230 heads of German missions abroad at the event. Their discussions will focus on economic and political developments, as well as on future opportunities on markets abroad.

The motto of this year’s Business Forum is “between protectionism and state capitalism – challenges facing the rules-based trade order”. Topics such as German US relations, climate and security, responsible corporate governance for globalisation with a human face and Africa as a business location will be discussed in 17 country panels and forums.

Foreign Minister Maas will open the event with Simon Coveney, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland. After the speeches by the two Ministers, there will be a discussion between Angela Titzrath, Chairwoman of the Executive Board of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG, and Joe Kaeser, President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens AG.