Berlin Foreign Policy Forum 2019
“From Ambition to Action: Making Multilateralism Work”
25-26 November 2019, Berlin
On 26 November 2019, Körber-Stiftung in cooperation with the Federal Foreign Office hosted the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum for the ninth time. Under the headline “From Ambition to Action: Making Multilateralism Work” the Berlin Forum set the stage for discussions on the most important current foreign policy challenges for Germany and Europe. How can Germany strengthen multilateral structures together with its key partners? How will election results in EU member states and of the European Parliament affect European integration and the EU's international role? Can we develop international regimes to control new technologies in warfare and prevent a new global arms race?
Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas opened the Berlin Forum with a keynote speech together with the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Norway Ine Eriksen Søreide, followed by a discussion on how to strengthen multilateral structures. Moreover, Olaf Scholz, Federal Minister of Finance, Paschal Donohoe, Minister of Finance & Public Expenditure of Ireland, Nadia María Calviño Santamaría, Spanish Minister of Economy and Business, and Sabine Weyand, European Director-General for Trade, discussed the role of Europe in a geo-economic world.
David Zalkaliani, Georgian Foreign Minister, Valery Voronetsky, Chairperson of the Commission on International Affairs of Belarus, Olena Zerkal, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, and Roderich Kiesewetter, Member of the German Bundestag, discussed Europe’s (South-)Eastern neighbourhood, and especially the role of the EU in (South-)Eastern Europe.
The afternoon began with a “Conflict Zone” discussion in cooperation with DW. İbrahim Kalın, Presidential Spokesperson, Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, answered questions by moderator Tim Sebastian and the audience. Furthermore, State Secretary Antje Leendertse, Alexander Grushko, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Richard Burt, US Chair of Global Zero, and Zhao Tong, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, discussed current challenges in arms control.
The Berlin Forum concluded with a Spotlight Interview in cooperation with DER SPIEGEL. In an interview moderated by Britta Sandberg, Annalena Baerbock, Co-Chair of Alliance 90/The Greens, talked about German and European foreign policy.
At the Berlin Forum, Körber-Stiftung presented the third edition of its foreign policy publication The Berlin Pulse. It includes the results of a representative survey on the attitudes of the German public towards foreign policy: Should Germany strive for greater independence from the US in defence matters? Should the EU have been more accommodating during the Brexit negotiations? Is Germany a forerunner in climate policy within the EU? Prominent German and international authors, such as Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Jacek Czaputowicz, Polish Foreign Minister, express their hopes and expectations for German foreign policy in 2020. You can find all results and contributions here: www.theberlinpulse.org.
Once a year, the Berlin Forum convenes a group of 250 high-ranking politicians, government representatives, experts and journalists. In addition to the German foreign policy community, around half of the participants come from other European countries, the Middle East, Asia and the United States. Since its initiation in 2011, the Berlin Forum has become the most important forum for foreign and security policy debates in Berlin. Attracting more than 65.000 live views in 2019, the Berlin Forum reaches a broad European and international audience.
Young Delegates at the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum
Körber-Stiftung is delighted to announce the launch of the Young Delegates Programme at the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum 2019, which presents an opportunity for students, PhD candidates and recent university graduates to participate in this high-ranking conference.
Selected Speakers

Heiko Maas
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs
Federal Republic of Germany

Ine Eriksen Søreide
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Kingdom of Norway

Annalena Baerbock
Co-Chair
Alliance 90/The Greens

Paschal Donohoe
Minister for Finance & Public Expenditure and Reform
Ireland

David Zalkaliani
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Georgia

Nathalie Tocci
Director, Istituto Affari Internazionali
Special Adviser to the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini
Participants
On 26 November, eminent politicians, government representatives, experts and journalists came together at the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum. The group of participants included representatives from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.
Selected Media Coverage
Please find here selected national and international media coverage of the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum 2019.
Cooperation partners

Media partners

Gallery
all Videos from the Forum
Agenda
Tuesday, 26 November 2019
9:00 – 9:30
Opening Remarks
Thomas Paulsen, Member of the Executive Board, Körber-Stiftung
Welcome Addresses
Heiko Maas, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Federal Republic of Germany
Ine Eriksen Søreide, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Norway
9:30 – 10:30
From Ambition to Action: How to Make Multilateralism Work
Ine Eriksen Søreide, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Norway
Jan Eliasson, fmr. Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations; Chair, Governing Board, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Nils Schmid, Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, SPD Parliamentary Group; Member, German Bundestag
Kori Schake, Deputy Director-General, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)
Intervention: Leonie Bremer, Spokesperson, Fridays for Future
Moderator: Tina Hassel, Head, Berlin Studio, ARD
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:15
The Berlin Pulse 2019: German Foreign Policy and Public Opinion
In Cooperation with Pew Research Center
Interactive Presentation by Liana Fix, Programme Director International Affairs, Körber-Stiftung & James Bell, Vice President, Global Strategy, Pew Research Center
11:15 – 12:30
Still a Transformative Power? The EU and its Neighbourhood
David Zalkaliani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Georgia
Valery Voronetsky, Chairperson, Standing Commission on International Affairs, House of Representatives of the National Assembly, Republic of Belarus
Olena Zerkal, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for the European Integration, Ukraine
Roderich Kiesewetter, Member, German Bundestag; Special Representative for Foreign Affairs, CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group
Moderator: Nathalie Tocci, Director, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)
12:30 – 14:15
Breakout Sessions / Lunch
14:15 – 15:00
Conflict Zone
In Cooperation with DW
İbrahim Kalın, Presidential Spokesperson, Presidency of the Republic of Turkey
Moderator: Tim Sebastian, Presenter Conflict Zone, DW
15:00 – 15:30
Coffee Break
15:30 – 16:30
Taxes, Tariffs, Trade Agreements: Europe in a Geo-Economic World
Olaf Scholz, Federal Minister of Finance, Federal Republic of Germany
Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance & Public Expenditure and Reform, Ireland
Nadia María Calviño Santamaría, Acting Minister of Economy and Business, Kingdom of Spain
Sabine Weyand, Director-General, Directorate-General Trade, European Commission
Moderator: Nora Müller, Executive Director International Affairs, Körber-Stiftung
16:30 – 17:00
Coffee Break
17:00 – 18:00
Arms Control in the 21st Century: New Technologies, New Arms Race?
Antje Leendertse, State Secretary, Federal Foreign Office
Alexander Grushko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Russian Federation
Richard Burt, U.S. Chair, Global Zero
ZHAO Tong, Senior Fellow, Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy
Moderator: Des Browne, Vice Chairman, Nuclear Threat Initiative; Chair, European Leadership Network
18:00 – 18:30
Spotlight Interview: Is Europe Going Green?
In Cooperation with DER SPIEGEL
Annalena Baerbock, Co-Chair, Alliance 90/The Greens; Member, German Bundestag, Berlin
Moderator: Britta Sandberg, Correspondent, Paris Bureau, DER SPIEGEL