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East Germany Principles of Foreign Policy
From the earliest days of the republic, East Germany's
foreign policy has been concerned with its survival as a separate
political entity, international recognition, solution to the "two
Germanies problem," accommodation to Soviet hegemony in Eastern
Europe, and development within Comecon and the Warsaw Pact. The
state gained international recognition, signed treaties with West
Germany, and solidified its position in Comecon and the Warsaw
Pact by becoming the Soviet Union's staunchest ally. Since the
late 1970s, East Germany's foreign policy has been extended to
include global interests, reflecting its position as one of the
world's leading industrial states.
Five principles, which are established in Article 6 of the
Constitution, underlie the foreign policy of East Germany: a
"perpetual and irrevocable alliance" with the Soviet Union; an
"inseparable" membership in the socialist community of states,
toward whose members East Germany is committed in friendship,
universal cooperation, and mutual assistance; the support of all
peoples "who are struggling against imperialism and colonialism";
peaceful coexistence of states with different social orders; and
support for peace and cooperation in Europe, a peaceful order
throughout the world, and universal disarmament.
East Germany's most important external contacts are with
members of the Warsaw Pact and Comecon, West Germany, and
selected countries of the Third World. The determinant factor in
East Germany's foreign policy is its integration into the Soviet
sphere of influence following World War II.
Data as of July 1987
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