“Germany – Europe – Asia: shaping the 21st century together” – One year of the German government’s policy guidelines on the Indo-Pacific region
In September 2020, the German government adopted its policy guidelines on the Indo-Pacific region with the objective of strengthening Germany’s role as an active force and partner in that part of the world in the long term.
The development of the IndoPacific region is extremely dynamic. In view of its growing political and economic importance, it will play a key role in shaping tomorrow’s international order. It is therefore in our strategic interest to step up Germany’s engagement in the region to protect and promote our key principles and values in close cooperation with our partners in the region: Germany advocates a multilateral rules-based, transparent and inclusive international order, in which the rule of law and human rights are protected. Common challenges such as regional security, climate change, and fighting the pandemic can only be overcome together. The German government has published its first progress report on 13 September 2021 pointing to initial tangible successes regarding the implementation of the guidelines.
At the initiative of Germany, France and the Netherlands, the European Commission and the European External Action Service have published their joint communication on the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific on 16 September 2021. This EU strategy will increase its engagement with the region and build partnerships that reinforce the rules-based international order, address global challenges, and lay the foundations for a rapid, just and sustainable economic recovery that creates longterm prosperity.
Underscoring the security policy component of the German policy guidelines the German frigate “Bayern” has started its half-year long deployment to the Indo-Pacific area.
The frigate has left Germany in early August 2021 and will return at the end of February 2022. Passing through the Mediterranean, the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Sea, where the ship will join the international ATALANTA (Horn of Africa) and SEA GUARDIAN (Mediterranean) missions. After that, the frigate will cross the Indian
Ocean, and then head towards Australia. From there, the frigate will head to East Asia in order to take part for several weeks at the end of 2021 in the efforts to monitor the sanctions against North Korea off the Korean peninsula. The return journey to Germany will take the frigate through the South China Sea and through the Strait of Malacca. In doing so, Germany reaffirms the validity of the UNCLOS arbitral decision of July 2016.
There are also plans for the ship to dock at the Port of Colombo. We are looking forward to this occasion which will contribute to strengthening the cooperation between Germany and Sri Lanka. You find more information on the journey of the frigate at Twitter @ Fregatte Bayern and #IndoPacificDeployment2021 .