Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA)

Abstract

The strengthening of Germany's position after 1990 allowed it to expand its geopolitical ambitions in regions previously little included in the foreign policy agenda of Germany. One of these regions has become the Arctic, the development and study of which takes place through participation in international Arctic organizations, as well as through bilateral agreements with Arctic states. However, at the end of the twentieth century, until 2013, Germany's Arctic position can be characterized as unambitious and passive, due to the lack of funding for German delegations to participate in Arctic Council working groups, insufficient coordination policy between federal ministries and agencies whose areas include the development and implementation of Arctic policy, as well as the lack of common interest in the implementation of national priorities in the region through the structures of the Arctic Council. Germany participates in the development of projects mainly related to ecology. This position creates a favorable image of Germany as the patron saint of the Arctic, which does not detract from the scientific value of German climate and environmental research. For the Arctic policy of Germany, it is also characteristic to involve broad segments of society in scientific research, thereby instilling the idea of a stable German presence in the Arctic.