I am deeply honoured to express my gratitude and appreciation for the Diplomacy by Networking programme of the Federal Foreign Office in this special publication, 30 years after taking part in it for the first time. In 1994, together with other young diplomats from the former Central and Eastern Europe, I completed an intensive diplomatic training course in Treptower Park, Berlin. This training, and everything I experienced during that year, has greatly benefited me throughout my career.
Today’s Diplomacy by Networking alumni programme serves as a valuable bridge connecting past experiences, friends and colleagues with the challenges that lie ahead. I currently live in Tirana and lead a think tank, the Albanian Center for Good Governance, and I was thrilled to attend the ZIF programme Mediated Peace Agreement Lab – Workshop for International Diplomats in Berlin in October 2024 as well as the EU Rapprochement and Integration programme in Tirana in December 2024.
Both training sessions have provided me with contemporary and highly valuable insights into mediation and negotiation techniques. My participation in these programmes has refreshed my diplomatic knowledge and expanded the friendships cultivated and maintained through ZIF’s Diplomacy by Networking programme.

Arben Çejku

During the past eight years (2017-2024), I was an Executive Manager in charge of project management and cooperation with international and regional organisations at the Permanent International Secretariat of the BSEC Organization (BSEC) and used every opportunity to participate in the events, organised by the Diplomacy by Networking (DN), especially the ones relating to my portfolio. The most recent event that I attended as a participant was the Regional Network Meeting in Cairo in 2023, where in-depth discussions on issues such as climate change and environmental protection were held. I very much enjoyed the discussions as well as the whole experience. We decided together with the DN team to organise, for the first time ever, a joint event in 2024 on a topic of common interest, also involving a third partner organisation – the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM). Despite my many years of experience organising different activities and events, I was very excited to work with the Federal Foreign Office for the first time as a partner organisation, not as a participant. The event took place in Barcelona at the UfM premises from 24 to 26 April 2024 and was about digital diplomacy and sustainability. The aim of the conference, the first of its kind, was to bring together leaders, diplomats, experts and stakeholders to engage in discussions about the interface between digital diplomacy and sustainable development. Representatives from 21 countries participated in the event. I thought that this first-ever joint event, which I enjoyed a great deal, was a big success. I was sure that the collaboration on this training with the DN team would be successful. I wish to continue cooperating with the team in the future since this collaboration is always interesting, enlightening and offers new insights for all involved. Good luck to the Diplomacy by Networking team in 2025!

Rositsa Stoeva