Germany's development policy in co-operation with the Bundeswehr

On 7 June the Federal Ministry of Defence signed an agreement with the German state-owned development agency GIZ relating to co-operation in the country and abroad.

This agreement will enable the use of GIZ potential to implement development co-operation projects funded by the Ministry of Defence in the regions where the Bundeswehr runs its operations. It will link German development policy more closely with the country's interests in security policy.

The agreement will intensify co-operation between the German army and GIZ staff above all in the regions where the Bundeswehr runs foreign operations. Commissioned by the Bundeswehr, GIZ will be able to run development co-operation projects in these regions, it will also train German soldiers as part of preparation for foreign missions. In exchange, GIZ staff will be able to use military infrastructure – both in the country (during preparatory training) and abroad (military transport for people and goods, access to geoinformation data, access to infrastructure in Bundeswehr's foreign bases).

This document is the result of changes in the Federal Ministry of Development Co-operation's (BMZ) approach to collaboration with the army. Until the parliamentary election in 2009 the ministry led by the SPD was reluctant to co-operate with the Bundeswehr, arguing that such co-operation has a negative impact on the implementation of development assistance projects – despite the necessity of civilian-military collaboration in stabilising conflicts declared by subsequent governments where the SPD had its representatives. Only after the BMZ was taken over by Dirk Niebel (FDP) in 2009 did the ministry's attitude to co-operation with both the army and German business shift. GIZ will support economic and security interests. <jus>