Cultural Relations : Germany

Cultural policy is one of the main elements of German foreign policy. It consists of
5>giving other countries a comprehensive and self-critical picture of the Federal Republic of Germany and its cultural achievements, a picture which reflects the country’s pluralist democracy and embraces all of the German people’s spiritual and intellectual values;

2>promoting the German language all over the world; and p>fostering cultural exchange with other countries in a spirit of partnership.

The aim of this policy is to remove prejudices and strengthen mutual respect. In this way it helps to promote political and economic cooperation. In the development of cultural relations, the Federal Foreign Office cooperates with the state governments, the churches, unions, political foundations and many other organizations.

Membership Of The United Nations : Germany

A major aim of German foreign policy is to strengthen the role of the United Nations as the principal institution of the community °f nations. Only this will enable the world organization to respond adequately to such global challenges as conflict prevention, the population explosion and environmental protection. This applies especially to ‘he Secretary-General of the United Nations, who snould be placed in a stronger position to mediate in Preventing conflicts. ^ multilateral orientation of the Federal Republic of ermany has been a consistent feature of its foreign Poi|cy since 1945. Already in the early 1950s Ger-many joined subsidiary organizations of the United Nations; in 1973 it became a full member.

For decades this membership was a cornerstone of the Federal Republic’s peace, security and human rights policies. With the German initiatives prompting the drafting of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty (1980), the adoption of a resolution of the General Assembly on international cooperation to avert new flows of refugees (1986), and the institution of the office of a United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1993), Germany has made a substantial contribution in the United Nations to international security and increased respect for human rights. The same is true in the area of disarmament and arms control, where German efforts led to the creation of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, which furnishes information concerning movements of conventional weapons.
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Germany and the Developing Countries : Germany

Relations with the developing countries are an important element of German foreign relations. Reducing the prosperity gap between the industrial and developing countries and protecting the natural sources of life are increasingly becoming the crucial tasks of the coming years. Cooperation based on partnership, not least assistance mtended to help the recipients achieve self-sustaining development, serves the common aim of meeting global challenges such as poverty, rapid population growth and the destruction of the environment and ensuring mankind’s survival. Germany’s development Policy focuses on poverty alleviation, environmental and resource protection, and education and training. 40 years of fruitful cooperation prior to unification, the Federal Republic of Germany earned the reputa-tion of a reliable, trustworthy and helpful partner of the nations of the South, where four fifths of the world’s population live.

The developing nations expect united Germany to assume a larger role on the world stage. At the same time, however, they are afraid it might neglect “the South” in favor of “the East” on account of the economic burden of the unification process and the aid provided for the reformist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Since 1990, the year of unification, the Federal Government has therefore repeatedly reaffirmed its commitments to the developing countries and its intention to further develop and strengthen the existing bonds of friendship.

Relations with Germany’s Eastern Neighbors : Germany

Within the very few years since the end of communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe, cooperation and partnership between Germany and its eastern neighbors have taken on a totally new quality. The accession to NATO and the European Union of a number of states to the east of our borders will change the countenance of Europe in the years to come. Democracy, the rule of law and modern economic principles have meanwhile become so firmly rooted in several of these states that Germany has every reason to hope that in the foreseeable future - for the first time in many years - it will be able to live not only in peace with all its neighbors but also without a destabilizing prosperity gap.

Further development of a relationship marked by partnership and trust between Germany and the Russian Federation as well as between Germany and the other newly independent states on the territory of the former Soviet Union remains a key priority of German foreign policy. Germany will continue to pursue a course of constructive cooperation with these states. For the policy of the Federal Republic of Germany it is especially important to create the preconditions for European unity and to strengthen the fundamental values of democracy and the rule of law.

The Atlantic Alliance : Germany

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) remains the indispensable foundation of the security of its members in Europe and North America. The Federal Republic of Germany joined NATO in 1955. The defense preparedness and capability of all NATO member states has, over the decades, safeguarded the existence of the free democracies, proceeding from the dual strategy of defense and dialogue in relation to the former Warsaw Pactcountries as expressed in the Harmel Report of 1967. It was not least the Atlantic Alliance which paved the way for the transformation in Europe and in Germany.

As a result of the political transformation in Europe, the confrontation between East and West has meanwhile been overcome. Nevertheless, NATO still has a central role to play in maintaining Europe’s stability and security. In view of the new threats and instabilities, it is tackling its new tasks head-on, helping to shape the emerging broad-based operative security structures and continuing to embody the transatlantic security alliance as a system of collective defense. With its New Strategic Concept adopted in Rome in November 1991, the Alliance has drawn the necessary conclusions from the overcoming of the confrontation between East and West. Among other things, this concept entails a sizeable reduction in force strengths and a reform offeree structures.

Foreign Policy : Germany

Since the epochal changes of 1989/90, Germany has found itself in a fundamentally altered foreign policy arena. The end of the confrontation between East and West has created new freedom for all the states which were once caught in the maelstrom of ideological tensions. Previously inconceivable forms of cooperation are now possible in the whole of Europe and the world.

As an exporting nation which is integrated into the global economy, united Germany in the heart of Europe derives particular benefit from these new opportunities. In a world which is becoming increasingly interdependent, national isolationism is no longer possible. The most important manifestation of this transformation is globalization, the internationalization of knowledge and economic activity which leaves national frontiers far behind.