The Federal Foreign Office is the German ministry responsible for maintaining relations with other states and with international and supranational organizations.

In the policy making process, the Foreign Service must reconcile and pool many, and sometimes diverging, interests. The fact that it deals with cross-sector tasks enables the Federal Foreign Office to combine the many specialist positions and individual perspectives in a coherent German foreign and security policy through practical coordination.

The Foreign Service sees itself not only as a maker of foreign policy but also as a service outlet for citizens, the German business community, those involved in German cultural life as well as members of parliament and government at all levels. The range of services it offers has emerged as the second pillar of foreign policy in addition to classical diplomacy.