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Federal Foreign Office (Germany)

Federal Foreign Office
German: Auswärtiges Amt (AA)
Auswärtiges Amt Logo.svg
Auswaertiges Amt Berlin Eingang.jpg
Entrance to the Foreign Office building
Agency overview
Formed 1870; 148 years ago (1870)
Jurisdiction Government of Germany
Headquarters Werderscher Markt 1
10117 Berlin
Employees 11,602 Foreign Service staff
5,627 local employees
Annual budget 5.232 billion (2017)
Minister responsible
Agency executives
Website www.auswaertiges-amt.de

The Federal Foreign Office (German: About this sound Auswärtiges Amt ), 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.

The term Auswärtiges Amt was the name of the Foreign Office established in 1870 by the North German Confederation, which then became the German Empire's Foreign Office in 1871. It is still the name of the German foreign ministry today. From 1871 to 1919, the Foreign Office was led by a Foreign Secretary, and since 1919, it has been led by the Foreign Minister of Germany. Since March 2018, Heiko Maas has served as Foreign Minister, succeeding Sigmar Gabriel. The primary seat of the ministry is at the Werderscher Markt () square in the Mitte district, the historic centre of Berlin.

The Auswärtiges Amt was established in 1870 to form the foreign policy of the North German Confederation, and from 1871 of the German Empire. The Foreign Office was originally led by a secretary of state (therefore not called a ministry), while the Chancellor, who usually also held the office of Prussian Minister of Foreign Affairs, remained in charge of foreign affairs.


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