Steinmeier congratulates Ayrault, France's new foreign minister German Minister of Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier congratulated on Thursday his newly-appointed French counterpart, Jean-Marc Ayrault, chosen to take over as foreign minister by Francois Hollande as part of a larger government reshuffle. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES//REFILING WITH CORRECT DOPESHEET. THIS VIDEO IS OF STEINMEIER SPEAKING ON FRANCE'S NEW FM AYRAULT, NOT ON SYRIA