The fields of activity of the External Relations Department include

• the organization and maintenance of the ten town-twinning schemes,
• the coordination and monitoring of EU issues as well as municipal development policy,
• the analysis of international issues with municipal relevance, and
• the conception of networking and information offers within the administration and with external partners.

The employees of the External Relations Department act as a competence and networking platform for the internationally oriented activities of the LHS and ensure information acquisition, knowledge transfer, coordination and inter-agency services, shape partner-city cooperation by advising and financing civil society actors in Stuttgart as well as in exchange with partners at state, federal and EU level and on site in the ten partner cities, design and organize events and delegation trips for the Lord Mayor and the City Council, prepare and follow up on these events and ensure the transfer of knowledge and information between the participants, represent international issues in public, carry out their own projects supported by third-party funds and thus by appropriate personnel, provide strategic advice and support colleagues from other offices who are themselves entrusted with dealing with international issues and in particular with the implementation of projects.

The work of the department is carried out in cooperation with all municipal departments and offices, members of the municipal council, with representatives of the internationally oriented institutions based in Stuttgart as well as with actors at the state, federal and EU level who are concerned with municipal issues of international work.