Rather important goal for international relations is to improve methods forstudying of interstate dialogue. The author pays attention to the format of intergovernmental consultations. The goal of article is to explore the functioning of the format on the example of Germany, which uses this one in the dialogue with 12 other states. The problems of the functioning of the format are still not in the details explored in Russian political science. Usually, the format is established by one power for the cooperation with another power or the very important ally among small and medium-sized states. The frequency of the meetings is established for each format. Compliance with frequency or violation of it, especially interruption of the work are the indicators of the dialogue development. One meeting in the format lasts only one day and it determines the scheme of the negotiations. The sites should focus on the most perspective and, on the contrary, the most problematic issues, even if the agenda differs from the conceptual guidelines. The key variants of the end of the meeting in the format are presented.

The article explores the geography and chronology of establishment of the formats with German participation. Before the XXI century there was the long period of time between the launch of every two new formats. In the early – mid 2010s and early 2020s there were the waves of newly established formats. The author stresses the absence of the ones between Germany and the Arabian states, Iran, the African ones and explains the reasons. The difficulty for Germany was also the creation of formats with the Anglo-Saxon states. Another problem has become since the mid 2010-s the “freezing” of some formats (with Russia), the long interruption of their functioning (with Brazil, Italy, Poland, Turkey), the violation of frequency (with France, Netherlands, Spain). The article shows the reasons of such situations in each case. At the same time there has been stable functioning of the mechanisms with India and China, even when the confrontation between the PRC and the USA has begun. The author concludes that in the 2010s Germany has tried to make the system of the formats of intergovernmental consultations global. But by the beginning of 2020s these efforts were unsuccessful and there was the degradation of the process. 

The article was submitted 09.10.2023