International Relations

Germany is a member of numerous international organisations, including:

• Council of Baltic Sea States
• Council of Europe
• EEA
• EU
• G-8
• IMF
• IMO
• NATO
• OECD
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• UN
• WEU
• World Bank
• WTO

Germany is at the forefront of moving towards European integration. It has particularly close ties with France.

Germany was among those states that adopted the Single European Currency in January 1999 and the Euro replaced the Deutschmark in 2002.

Germany ratified the Treaty of Maastricht in October 1993.

It is also a signatory of the Schengen Convention (along with Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden), which allows free movement of capital, goods and services between each other (i.e. no policing of frontiers or customs posts).

Germany has adopted a more vigorous policy of integration in international organisations. German forces were actively engaged in the Kosovo operation with a German General commanding NATO forces.