The Federal Foreign Office, abbreviated AA, is the foreign ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany, a federal agency responsible for both the country's foreign policy and its relationship with the European Union. It is a cabinet-level ministry. Since December 2021, Annalena Baerbock has served as Foreign Minister, succeeding Heiko Maas. The primary seat of the ministry is at the Werderscher Markt square in the Mitte district, the historic centre of Berlin.
Entrance to the Foreign Office building
Foreign Office on Wilhelmstraße 76, about 1880
Entrance to the Wilhelmstraße 76 building in 1912
Foreign Office on Wilhelmstraße in 1927
Ministry of foreign affairs
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entity is usually headed by a foreign minister or minister of foreign affairs. The foreign minister typically reports to the head of government.
British Foreign Secretary James Callaghan and Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Max van der Stoel in 1975