Foreign Minister Heiko Maas presented Miguel Berger with his appointment paper as State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office today (4 May). Berger takes over from Andreas Michaelis who has been appointed German Ambassador to the UK after serving for two years as State Secretary. Prior to his appointment as State Secretary, Berger was Director-General for Economic Affairs and Sustainable Development in the Federal Foreign Office. His previous roles include Deputy Head of Germany’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and Director for Near and Middle Eastern Affairs, the Maghreb and the Sudan. As State Secretary, Berger will be responsible in the Federal Foreign Office for the two political Directorates-General, the European Directorate-General, the Directorate-General for Asia and the Pacific, and the Crisis Response Task Force.