The Federal Office of Justice functions as the central contact point and liaison body with its counterparts in other countries in civil, commercial and administrative matters, as well as in matters of criminal law. Mutual legal assistance is defined as any kind of assistance provided by courts or public authorities in legal matters to ensure that German proceedings conducted abroad or foreign proceedings conducted in Germany run as smoothly as possible. When performing tasks in the field of international mutual legal assistance, the Federal Office of Justice works in very close cooperation with the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the judicial administrations of the Länder, and with central authorities in other countries.