The study of foreign ministries has generally focused on one state, one nation, possibly a group of countries such as the European Union. But can we compare the foreign ministries of states that are very different in terms of their regime—democratic, autocratic, etc.—and what can a comparative study of these ministries and the diplomats who run them teach us today? These are among the issues addressed in Christian Lequesne's book, Ministries of Foreign Affairs in the World. Actors of State Diplomacy (Brill, 2022). Interview with the editor.