German-Kyrgyz relations

German-Kyrgyz relations

Germany	Kyrgyzstan

The German-Kyrgyz relationship has its origins in the 19th century and is characterized by numerous settlements and resettlements. To this day there is a German minority living in Kyrgyzstan who is supported and promoted by the German government. This also affects the general development of Kyrgyzstan.

history

The establishment of the four German villages in Kyrgyzstan in 1882 was the first event that laid an important foundation for the German-Kyrgyz relationship. At that time, German farmers were resettled from the European part of the Russian Empire to Kyrgyzstan. This event is now known as the first of the three waves of German settlement and resettlement.

In 1925 there was the second wave of resettlement of German Mennonites in the Tschüi valley, which was later renamed the Red Front .

During the Second World War , Kyrgyzstan experienced a third wave of German immigration in 1941, after they were deported to Kazakhstan after the dissolution of the Volga German Republic and found a new home in Kyrgyzstan after Stalin's death due to the milder political climate. Furthermore, there were no restrictions on entering and settling in Kyrgyzstan at that time.

In 1987, through pressure from the CDU / CSU and the FDP, the USSR changed the law on emigration, making it possible for Germans to return home.

In 1989 around 100,000 people of German origin were still living in Kyrgyzstan, eight years later there were still 20,000.

On August 31, 1991, Kyrgyzstan declared its independence from the Soviet Union. As a result, diplomatic relations between Germany and Kyrgyzstan began on February 3, 1992, and a German embassy was opened in Bishkek in September of the same year .

1992 was a year in which Kyrgyzstan was already very active and became a member of various organizations, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the United Nations (UN).

In 1993 the two countries signed a cultural agreement which came into force nine years later and which stands out among other things as the basis for cooperation in the field of education.

In January 1995 the Kyrgyz embassy was opened in what was then the German capital, Bonn . When Berlin became the German capital, the embassy moved there in 1999, but kept a branch in Bonn and opened a Kyrgyz consulate in Frankfurt am Main .

Kyrgyzstan has been a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since December 20, 1998 .

Economic relationships

The trade relations between Germany and Kyrgyzstan are rather small, with Germany having a clear trade surplus . In 2014, Germany exported goods worth EUR 81.9 million to Kyrgyzstan. This is a decrease of about 5 percent compared to 2013. Kyrgyzstan, on the other hand, only exported goods worth about 12.3 million euros in 2014. Popular export goods from Germany are mainly vehicles, machines, electrical engineering and chemical products, such as Medicines or cosmetics. Kyrgyzstan mainly exports agricultural products and raw materials at low prices.

From the perspective of German companies, investments in Kyrgyzstan are not very attractive. Political instability, a lack of legal certainty and increasing environmental and climate problems create unfavorable framework conditions for investors. Improvements are not to be expected here. So far, only two investors have made significant investments that make a major contribution to the economic development of Kyrgyzstan.

The Federal Republic of Germany has been supporting Kyrgyzstan in its reform efforts since 1992. In 1996 the "Kyrgyz-German Working Group for Trade and Investment" was founded to promote bilateral trade relations and to attract and protect investments. The working group consists of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWI) and the Kyrgyz Ministry for Economic Affairs. In May 2012, the two governments discussed bilateral development cooperation and focused on “sustainable economic development” and “health care reform”. Both should be aligned in such a way that the cooperation works effectively in possible conflict areas. This is to be done primarily through the promotion of youth and the promotion of structurally weak areas. These efforts contribute to achieving the "Sustainable Development Strategy" project of the Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), which among others acts on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals .

In general, the Kyrgyz Republic cooperates in the trade area with the BMWI, the Eastern Committee of German Business and the Foreign Office . With the accession of Kyrgyzstan to the Eurasian Economic Union in 2015, with Russia , Belarus , Kazakhstan , Belarus and Armenia as partners (as of 2016), new challenges but also opportunities arise for the economically weak country. The Federal Republic of Germany is one of the main investors after Japan and the USA , but remains a subordinate role as a trading partner. Sectors that can be expanded for trade relations are, for example, the electricity industry, ore industry, agriculture and tourism.

Political Relations

Branch office of the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in Bonn

In contrast to the stagnating economic relationship, political relations between Germany and Kyrgyzstan have historically been shaped by the German minority in Kyrgyzstan and political dialogue is regularly taken up and maintained. Germany was the first country to establish diplomatic relations after Kyrgyzstan gained independence in 1991. In the same year, the German diplomatic mission opened in Kyrgyzstan, which is the first fully developed EU embassy to this day . This makes Germany Kyrgyzstan's most important partner in the EU.

The Federal Republic of Germany supports the approximately 8,000 remaining Germans in Kyrgyzstan, whose securing of future prospects was an important part of the declaration of principles between Kyrgyzstan and Germany of July 4, 1992.

The government of Kyrgyzstan works closely with various political foundations from Germany. For example, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation has been active in Kyrgyzstan as the largest German political foundation for promoting democracy, social justice and international understanding. The foundation endeavors to promote democratic, political culture, to intensify regional dialogue on socio-political issues and to promote interest in the model of European integration. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation has also been active in Kyrgyzstan since 1996 and is committed to promoting democracy, the rule of law and a social market economy. Since 2002 the Hanns Seidel Foundation has also been active with its project “Management and administrative support in selected Central Asian countries”. The foundation offers scholarship programs for young specialists and executives who are trained in 12 to 24-month master’s courses.

During the state visit of the Kyrgyz Vice Prime Minister Valery Dill in November 2014, he also sought a meeting with representatives of the German economy. Under the leadership of the Eastern Committee, business opportunities in the mining, hydropower and construction industries were discussed. President Almabesk Atambaev also used his state visit on April 1, 2015 to talk to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German President Joachim Gauck . A delegation trip to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan took place in May 2015. In addition to participating in the German Business Day in Bishkek, political talks were held with Atambaev.

Promotion and support of Kyrgyzstan by Germany

In addition to the Millennium Development Goals, there are also other projects with which Germany supports and promotes Kyrgyzstan and a wide variety of areas. The total volume since 1993 amounts to almost 300 million euros. According to this, the Federal Republic of Germany is the third largest bilateral donor after Japan and the USA. The Federal Republic of Germany also participates heavily in programs run by multilateral institutions, such as those of the World Bank, the EU Commission or the KfW Development Bank .

Economic and political support

Economic stabilization, structural reforms and debt reduction are needed to reduce national poverty. Many of these projects are carried out by GIZ, which works on behalf of the BMZ, the Federal Foreign Office, the BMWI or the EU and thus makes a major contribution to promoting the private sector and providing advice in the microfinance and raw materials sector. The fight against drug consumption and trafficking as well as supporting the German minority is also part of the projects. In general, the projects can be divided into two areas. On the one hand there is financial support, which focuses on two areas. First, the microfinance sector is to be expanded in rural areas and, second, the national health program is to be promoted through the participation of several international investors.

On the other hand, there is technical cooperation, a program to promote sustainable economic development taking into account the “ green economy ” and for vocational training. In cooperation with the private sector, framework conditions and other factors of competitiveness are intended to promote structural reform that will generate income and employment. Kyrgyzstan is also advised through regional projects, such as “Support for legal and judicial reform in Central Asia” and the project “Promotion of basic education”, in order to create higher incomes and more employment in Kyrgyzstan. Accordingly, clothing companies are advised on how they can produce more efficiently and how they can adapt their production to the demand of the international market. In the production of drinking water, beef, fruit and medicinal herbs, the main focus is on increasing the quality and quantity of products.
The sponsored companies take part in international trade fairs, such as the “ Green Week ” in Berlin or the “ BIOFACH ” trade fair for organic products in Nuremberg .

The impact of the support is considerable. More than 5,000 farmers (around half of them women) have increased their income by around 42 percent in recent years. Companies in the clothing, processing and mineral water sector were able to increase their profits by 24 percent and many more companies opened up export markets. In 2011, around 550 farmers were able to sell 20 t of dried valerian to the German drug manufacturer Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG deliver. It can be assumed that this value will increase in the next few years.

Cultural support

There is a very active, recognized German-Kyrgyz cultural association in Berlin and collaborations between colleges and universities in both countries. With the initiative “Schools - Partners for the Future”, led by the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA) and the Goethe Institute , 8 schools in different parts of Kyrgyzstan are supported. There, German as a foreign language is sometimes taught by German teachers and at some schools it is possible to obtain the German Language Diploma II.

Particularly noteworthy are training courses in the fields of technology, the military, construction and transport, and agriculture, in which Kyrgyz colleges and universities receive support from German partner schools.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is also represented in Bishkek and ensures regular exchange. The DAAD awards scholarships to students and teaching staff. Since 1992, more than 800 student exchanges from Kyrgyzstan to Germany have taken place.

The language learning center has been in Bishkek since 2001, offering German courses from A1 (beginners) to C1 (advanced) and is the largest language center in Central Asia with over 800 course participants every year.

Germany also supports Kyrgyzstan in the media sector. For example, the Deutsche Welle Academy has been involved in media development since the 1990s and has been training journalists in cooperation with the OSCE Academy since 2010.

In addition to education, cultural cooperation has also placed a focus on health, which in part has already been established by the Millennium Development Goals not only for Kyrgyzstan but for many developing countries.

In the course of this and with close cooperation between Germany and other donors, projects are supported with financial means, but also with material and knowledge. Programs are being developed to help the population and contribute to the education and prevention of communicable diseases. Medical as well as social assistance with AIDS / HIV, tuberculosis or care during pregnancy and after birth can thus be ensured and further developed.

Country profiles

	Germany	Kyrgyzstan
Capital	Berlin	Bishkek
population	80.889.505	5,895,000
Land area	357,170 km²	199,949 km²
Form of government	Democratic, representative Federal Republic	Parliamentary republic
President (as of 2019)	Frank-Walter Steinmeier	Sooronbai Dscheenbekow
Head of Government (as of 2019)	Angela Merkel	Muchammedkaly Abylgaziev
HDI rank	6. / 188	120. / 188
currency	EUR - Euro - €	KGS - Som
Gross National Income per year in USD	3,853,623,454,716	7,318,025,690
Economic growth per year	1.6%	3.61%
GDP, run. Prices in USD BN	3,874.4	7.4
	Status 2014	Status 2014

literature

• John Anderson: Kyrgyzstan central asia's island of democracy? Published by: Harwood Academic Publishers, 1999, ISBN 90-5702-390-3
• Marie-Carin von Gumppenberg, Udo Steinbach: Central Asia: History, Politics, Economy, A Lexicon. Published by: CH Beck, 2005, ISBN 3-406-51113-9
• Gabriele Intermann, Annette Snoussi-Zehnter: Diercke Country Lexicon. Published by: Westermann Verlag, 2004, ISBN 3-07-509420-X
• Harenberg country lexicon. Published by: Harenberg Lexikon Verlag, 2002, ISBN 3-611-01061-8

Web links

Commons : German-Kyrgyz Relations  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Safety instructions for travelers Federal Foreign Office
• German Embassy in Bishkek
• Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic
• Millennium Development Goals Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
• Konrad Adenauer Institute in Central Asia
• Hanns Seidel Foundation in Kyrgyzstan
• Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Kyrgyzstan

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Embassy of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz-German relations ( Memento of the original from January 27, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. August 2015, accessed January 28, 2016 
2. ^ Federal Center for Political Education (Spät-) Aussiedler in Germany March 2013, accessed on January 28, 2016
3. ^ Russian-German History History of the Russian-German History Part IV , accessed on January 28, 2016.
4. ↑ John Anderson: Kyrgyzstan central asia's island of democracy? In: Harwood Academic Publishers 1999, p. 44, ISBN 90-5702-390-3
5. ↑ Kyrgyzstan Foreign Office October 2015, accessed on January 28, 2016
6. ^ Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic Brief overview , accessed January 28, 2016.
7. ↑ Embassy of Kyrgyzstan Cultural Partner ( Memento of the original from January 27, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. February 2014, accessed January 28, 2016 
8. ^ World Trade Organization Kyrgyz Republic and the WTO , accessed January 28, 2016.
9. ↑ ^{a b c d} Eastern Committee of the German Economy Kyrgyzstan ( Memento of the original from January 27, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. September 2015, accessed January 28, 2016 
10. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Foreign Office Relations with Germany, Development Cooperation October 2015, accessed on January 28, 2016
11. ↑ ^{a b} Embassy of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz-German economic relations ( memento of the original from September 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. September 2014, accessed January 28, 2016 
12. ↑ Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development The Millennium Development Goals , accessed on January 28, 2016.
13. ↑ Kyrgyzstan Reconstruction Loan Corporation , accessed on January 28, 2016.
14. ^ ^{A b} German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH Kyrgyzstan , accessed on January 28, 2016.
15. ↑ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Current projects Kyrgyzstan , accessed on January 28, 2016.
16. ^ German-Kyrgyz Cultural Association e. V. Homepage , accessed on January 28, 2016.
17. ↑ ^{a b} Foreign Office Relations with Germany October 2015, accessed on January 28, 2016
18. ↑ ^{a b c} Embassy of Kyrgyzstan Education Partner ( Memento of the original from September 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. February 2014, accessed January 28, 2016 
19. ↑ German Academic Exchange Service Kyrgyzstan Country Information , accessed on January 28, 2016.
20. ↑ Language learning center partner of the Goethe-Institut Bishkek - About Us ( Memento of the original from February 2, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. accessed on January 28, 2016 
21. ↑ Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Millennium Development Goals , accessed on January 28, 2016.
22. ↑ Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Video about health promotion in Kyrgyzstan May 2012, accessed on January 28, 2016
23. ^ Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Kyrgyzstan, Situation and Cooperation , accessed on January 28, 2016.
24. ↑ Austrian Chamber of Commerce Country Profile Germany October 2015, accessed on January 28, 2016
25. ↑ Austrian Chamber of Commerce Country Profile Kyrgyzstan October 2015, accessed on January 28, 2016