It was a privilege to take part in the inaugural ‘Berlin Insights’ programme organised for Ambassadors to Germany residing in Berlin. The Ambassadors in the inaugural group represented several different regions of the world and all were focussed on identifying areas and developments which could lead to mutually beneficial cooperation with the host country. The spirit of openness and friendship among the participants on the first day of programme set the tone for the productive sessions that followed over the next 7 days.

Given the prominent role of Germany in the global and European Union context, opportunities for direct networking with a view to understanding the German Government’s perspectives are important for the Ambassadors based in Berlin. Therefore, it was helpful to the participants, especially those from developing and non EU countries, that the Berlin Insights programme tried to incorporate interactions with senior officials from many key institutions such as the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Chancellery and the Office of the Federal President. The senior officials we interacted with during the programme were generous with their time and in sharing their experiences with us.

These sessions were helpful when it came to understanding how Germany is tackling challenges such as its climate goals and is advancing its efforts to increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix while undergoing an economic transition. Insights into the likely economic pathways of Germany, for example as regards the environment and global supply chains, were useful as many countries try to expand opportunities for collaboration with Germany. The programme also addressed Germany’s priorities as a development partner, a topic relevant to many developing countries who benefit from German resources and expertise. It was informative to learn about some historical aspects of German democracy such as how past periods of instability in the Weimar Republic shaped the current constitution’s focus on maintaining stability.

The visit to the Bavarian Representation in Berlin was an opportunity to learn about the resourcefulness of one of Germany’s largest states as well as its heritage, economy and natural beauty. During the programme the participants also visited the beautiful and historic Schloss Bellevue, the Federal President’s official residence.

Germany is an important partner for Sri Lanka in several areas including tourism and the economic, political and development spheres. Therefore, I greatly appreciated this programme that sought to help countries like mine, and to expand their engagement with Germany. In this context, I would like to thank officials at the Diplomacy by Networking section of Germany’s Federal Foreign Office for the time and effort that went into organising this thoughtful programme.

Lanka Varuni Muthukumarana