Germany–Pakistan relations

The bilateral relationships were succeeded by historical relations in the 1940s, during the British Raj, and finally restored in the 1950s after the establishment of both the countries in the late 1940s.[8] Both, West and East Germany had tilted toward forming alliance with India in the 1950s.[9]

Although Pakistan's relations with West-Germany was relatively healthy and based on mutual cooperation; the relations with East-Germany was deteriorated. In contrast, East-Germany maintained strong relations with East-Pakistan in the 1950s.

In 1961, President Ayub Khan paid a first state visit to West Germany, meeting with German president Heinrich Lübke and Chancellor Konrad Adenauer.[10] During this time, Germany partnered with Pakistan to launched industrial development program; hence becoming one of the first economic partners of Germany.[10]

In the 1960s, West Germany started a prolonged and heavy industrial programmes to aid Pakistan in its industrialization growth. West Germany idealized Pakistan as "an example of successful development policy in the developing country.". Meanwhile, Pakistani and East Germany civil society started to produce friendly impulses: In 1968 a book exhibition focused on the GDR was organised in Karachi and the Leipzig Trade fair added an office which was headed by a Pakistani. The following year was the beginning of a series of foundations of Pakistan-GDR Friendship Societies.[11]

Although, Germany retained neutrality policy during the 1971 war of India and Pakistan; East Germany became the third country in the world, and the first country in Europe, to officially recognize Bangladesh in 1972 after it gained independence in 1971.[12] This was only mildly surprising, since the GDR's government had shown unequivocal support for the Indian-backed separatists in the Awami League as the conflict played out.[11] Later in the 1970s, Pakistan normalized its relations with East-Germany and Soviet bloc.[12] In January 1973, the Embassy of the GDR in Pakistan opened its doors under the chargé d'affaires Walter Schmidt, who was replaced the following April by the first regular ambassador, Hans Maretzki. A few weeks before, in the beginning of April, Pakistan had opened its embassy in East Berlin; Jamshed K.A. Marker, the former ambassador in Ottawa, was its first ambassador.[11]

German archaeologists have been active in Pakistan for decades. Since 1979, for example, the project Rock Carvings and Inscriptions along the Karakorum Highway has been conducted with the support of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. German researchers regularly travel to Gilgit-Baltistan as part of this project.[14]

Germany assisted in restoration of Lahore Fort

For a number of years, the Federal Foreign Office has been funding cultural preservation projects in Pakistan. The main projects in recent years include the restoration of the Lahore Fort frescoes and a historical Amburiq Mosque in Gulabpur, Baltistan. In 2010 and 2011, the Federal Foreign Office provided funding to renovate and restore traditional residential buildings in Lahore's historical Old City in cooperation with the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF). The two projects received the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2010 and 2014, respectively. Since 2017, a project has been underway to restore part of the Lahore Fort frescoes – also in cooperation with the AKF. This project is scheduled to continue through 2018.[14]

The main institution promoting bilateral cultural relations is the Goethe-Institut in Karachi. In the building housing the Goethe-Institut, which is from the Bauhaus era and classified as an historical monument, numerous cultural events are held in addition to the language courses. Another institution active in cultural cooperation is the Goethe-Institut-affiliated Annemarie Schimmel House in Lahore, which also offers language courses and a cultural programme.

There has long been close cooperation in training between German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) and the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC). Deutsche Welle has its own office in Islamabad.

In November 2018, Pakistan proposed China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) partnership to Germany. Pakistan offered German companies to invest in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) of CPEC, the landmark framework of regional connectivity seen as a game-changer for the region.[18]

In 1997, the Pakistan German Business Forum (PGBF) was founded. Since then it has been engaged in becoming a central instrument for the promotion and expansion of bilateral economic relations between Germany and Pakistan.[19]

In 2014, Pakistan was included in the European Union's Generalized System of Preferences (GSP+). This gives Pakistan's export sector better access to the European market for various products, in particular textiles. Within the EU, Germany had spoken in favour of admitting Pakistan to the system.[20]

Germany exports to Pakistan worth around 1.8 billion and imports from Pakistan 1.1 billion. It is Pakistan’s 4th largest export partner, trade amounted to $1.6 billion in 2021. [21]

	2007		2008		2009		2010		2011		2012		2013		2014		2015		2016		2017
Germany Exports	$1.25 B		$1.37 B		$1.1 B		$995 M		$1.09 B		$1.05 B		$1.06 B		$1.09 B		$1.13 B		$1.21 B		$1.29 B
Pakistan Exports	$939 M		$1.04 B		$943 M		$1.16 B		$1.57 B		$1.26 B		$1.42 B		$1.71 B		$1.62 B		$1.7 B		$1.9 B
Total Trade	$2.19 B		$2.41 B		$2.04 B		$2.15 B		$2.66 B		$2.47 B		$2.31 B		$2.48 B		$2.75 B		$2.91 B		$3.19 B
Note: All values are in U.S. dollars.[22][23]

To mitigate the effects of the flood disaster in Pakistan in late summer 2014, the German Government provided a total of more than 6 million euros in assistance. In 2015 and 2016, the total amount of the federal budgetary allocations for humanitarian aid projects in Pakistan exceeded 11 million euros. The relief measures are implemented by German non-governmental organisations and international organisations such as the United Nations Refugee Agency and the World Food Programme.[14]

In November 2014, the German and Pakistan governments concluded an agreement to create a Pakistan-German Renewable Energy Forum (PGREF). The Forum is to be launched in Lahore in 2016. It will serve as a point of contact in Pakistan for the German energy sector, for associations and for non-governmental organisations. In the long term, it is to provide training and information and facilitate cooperation between partners from Germany and Pakistan.[20]

Germany is helping Pakistan to fundamentally reform its vocational training system in cooperation with the Netherlands, Norway and the EU. German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) has been commissioned by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to advise Pakistan's National Vocational and Technical Training Commission and vocational training agencies at provincial level on how vocational training can be better aligned with the needs of the labour market. More than 100 vocational careers advice and job centres have been established throughout the country. Uniform standards and material for examinations have been developed for nearly 60 vocational profiles in agriculture, energy and services; 87,000 young people have completed a training programme; 4,000 vocational training instructors have already been trained, with at least that many set to receive training in the near future.[25]

In June 2013, 13 German multinational and Pakistani national companies on Thursday formally launched the Germany-Pakistan Training Initiative (GPATI), a new skills development project aiming at equipping young Pakistani men and women with employable skills.[25]

The Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation have all seconded staff to Pakistan and run their own offices there, and in some cases have done so for decades. They support projects in areas including the strengthening of democratic institutions, human rights and the advancement of women, climate change, deradicalisation, regional cooperation and the media.

In January 2011, Germany and Pakistan agreed on initiating Pak-Germany Strategic Dialogue on yearly basis to enhance defense, economy, education, energy, investment and infrastructure.[29] Four rounds of Strategic Dialogue have taken place with last one in November 2018, at Islamabad.

• Germany: Germany has an embassy in Pakistan, specifically in Islamabad and has consulates-generals in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta;[2]

• Pakistan: Pakistan is represented through an embassy in Berlin and a consulate-general in Frankfurt. [30]