301. The Preamble to the Basic Law states that the foreign and security policy objective of Germany is to "serve the peace of the world as an equal partner in a united Europe". The Basic Law entails the obligation of German foreign and security policy to provide protection and the task of shaping peace and stability
302. State authority has to safeguard the dignity of man, basic rights, democracy and the rule of law. The security of its citizens, the protection of the country and its free and democratic basic order are the primary obligation justifying and limiting the existence of the state and its means. Defence capability is an expression of a nation's will to assert itself and of state sovereignty. As a basic responsibility of the state, the core of this protective function must not be affected by changes in the security situation. It is thus only logical and imperative that Germany should also remain militarily forearmed against the imponderables of the future.
303. German policy is committed to peace. Its foremost task is to safeguard, promote and shape peace, both within Germany and in the international community. Peace prevails when freedom and justice are realized and the dignity of man is protected. These supreme values are the universally binding core of human rights, which every state, regardless of different religious persuasions and cultural traditions, has to respect and protect. The obligation to protect the dignity of man, to ensure peace, freedom and justice is a yardstick against which the legitimacy of politics can be measured. These values are indivisible. Serving peace also means striving for a world in which everyone can live in freedom, peace and dignity.
VALUES AND INTERESTS
304. The values laid down in the Basic Law guide the interests on which Germany bases its action in the field of security policy. By establishing a constitutional mandate to safeguard peace, to work towards European unity to settle conflicts by peaceful means and to join a system of collective security, the Basic Law has laid major cornerstones for determining German security interests. It is the task of German security policy to constantly reinterpret and to credibly support these interests in situations where decisions are required, bearing in mind the changing international constellation.
305. Action in the field of security policy must be based on interests. Interests determine priorities for action. They are the expression of the policies of a sovereign state, a point of departure for assessing risks and deciding what action is required in a particular situation and a prerequisite for the reconciliation of interests, cooperation and international stability.
306. In this context, German security policy has to take account of constant political factors and parameters with a long-term effect: the geopolitically central location of Germany, as the country with the most neighbours in Europe; its economic situation as an industrialized nation dependent on exports and firmly interwoven with the world economy; and finally the experiences of German and European history. All this sets standards for the objectives, substance and procedures of German policy and plays a part in the way in which it is perceived by Germany's neighbours.
The fact that German security policy is geared to the values laid down in the Basic Law and the related security interests is a guarantee of its reliability -and predictability. An important prerequisite for this is also the readiness in principle to work for the reconciliation of interests, for cooperation and for international solidarity.
307. During the Cold War era, with Germany divided, protection against the communist threat, firm integration into the community of Western market democracies, the regaining of unity in peace and freedom and of German sovereignty were of overriding importance. These objec6es have been attained. Today, Germany has greater international responsibility, especially as far as security in and for Europe is concerned, Much is expected of Germany because of its central role, its potential and its history. Germany has learned the lessons of history and will thus continue to pursue a policy of active integration and broad international cooperation.
308. German foreign and security policy is guided by five central interests:
* Preservation of the freedom, security and welfare of the citizens of Germany and the territorial integrity of the German State;
* Integration with the European democracies in the European union, for democracy, the rule of law and prosperity in Europe mean peace and security for Germany, too;
* The lasting transatlantic alliance, based on a community of values and similar interests, with the United States as a world power, for the potential of the USA is indispensable for international stability;
* The familiarization of our neighbours, in Eastern Europe with Western structures in a spirit of reconciliation and partnership and the creation of a new cooperative security order embracing all the states of Europe;
* Worldwide respect for international law and human rights and a just world economic order based on market imprinciples, for the security of the individual states is guaranteed only in a system of global security Will, Peace, justice and well-being for everyone.
SALIENT FEATURES AND PERSPECTIVES OF GERMAN SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY
309. German security policy consists of taking foresighted, integrated and multilaterally interlinked preventive security measures. Its objective is to shape peace by political means in the region surrounding Germany, both closer to home and further afield. The decisive concepts for this are dialogue, cooperation and defence preparedness. A foresighted policy aims at preventing crises and conflicts. Crises must be met in a preventive manner when and where they arise, taking account of their causes, with a concept that makes active and flexible use of the options provided by all spheres of policy. To this end, foreign policy, security policy, economic policy, technology policy, environmental policy and development policy forces a whole. Such a comprehensive policy cannot be shaped by one country alone within a national framework. It calls for a combined, international effort based on cooperating with friends and partners, working together in the alliance; and actively participating in the United Nations and the regional organizations. The institutions have a complementary effect on one another and thus use the specific capabilities to consolidate security and stability in and for Europe.
310. Germany's defence policy is based on a capability to conduct national defence, and to defend its allies as a form of extended national defence. It is supplemented by the ability to participate in cooperative multinational conflict prevention and crisis management. German security policy is determined by the holistic combination of in basic functions: protection against risks and threats and the active shaping of stability and peace.
311. Germany is not impacted by all risks to the same extent. Its security is directly affected by how the situation in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe develops. It is indirectly affected by unstable conditions in the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Southwestern Asia. Germany's security is also affected by destabilizing developments in other parts of the world. International challenges and interests call above all for answers to questions such as:
* How can peace and security in and for Europe be preserved?
* How can the alliances be adapted and the ability to act of those security institutions of which Germany is a member he improved?
* How can Central and Eastern Europe be stabilized and integrated?
* How can the constitution be clarified to enable Germany to actively participate in international peacekeeping and peacemaking measures on the basis of the UN Charter or under the auspices of the CSCE?
312. The core of German security policy is a firm and deep friendship and close cooperation with our allies. Together with us, they preserved peace and created a situation in which German unity and the freedom of Europe were possible. The alliances will continue to be the foundation of German preventive security measures. The close transatlantic bonds and a united Europe are guarantors of security and stability. European integration has to be deepened and widened in order to strengthen the Europeans' ability to act, effectively prevent crises, and contain and terminate conflicts. If the states of Europe assume greater responsibility in the field of security policy, this will boost the activities to shape security and stability in Europe, in a spirit of partnership together with the democracies of North America.
313. In addition to the Euro-Atlantic ties, close cooperation with our eastern neighbours is also necessary for German security. In this context, our relations with Russia and Ukraine play a crucial role. Russia is an especially important partner for lasting stability in Europe and the world. An interwoven fabric of bilateral treaties that Germany has signed in numerous areas of policy with the States of Central and Eastern Europe will strengthen mutual confidence and stability. Because of its location at the centre of Europe, Germany, more than any other state, is particularly interested in supporting its neighbours in the east on the road to democratic and market reforms and in familiarizing them with Western institutions.
As far as Central and Eastern Europe are concerned, Germany's policy is thus characterized by three key terms: stabilization through cooperation and integration. These three factors of a forward-looking approach to stability are indivisible elements of a convincing overall concept. The transfer of stability will benefit everyone. Stability in and for Europe is the crucial future task of the Euro-Atlantic community.
314. A further important factor is the close cooperation with states in key regions that are of outstanding significance for the security of Germany and Europe.
Close cooperation with the Scandinavian states is of great importance for stability in the Baltic region. It is imperative that use be made of the diverse network of close bilateral ties and cooperation within the framework of the Baltic Council in order to stabilize the states on the Baltic that used to belong to the Warsaw Pact area.
315. Following the end of East-West confrontation, the focus of which was Central Europe, the Mediterranean region has experienced an increase in strategic importance, especially as a result of the crisis potential in the Maghreb and, in particular, in the triangle formed by the Balkans, Caucasus and middle East/Southwestern Asia. The Federal Government has intensified its cooperation with the democratic states and stable partners, capable of taking action, who are promoting cooperative peaceful orders and regional stability on the borders of or in the islamic world. In the Middle East, there is for the first time a realistic chance of a lasting peace and fruitful cooperation between former adversaries. This is an important contribution for the security of Europe, for developments in this region are of significance for the whole of Europe.
316. In Asia, an exceptionally dynamic economic region, Germany contributes to stability and peace by means of a broad political dialogue with all the states involved and through close cooperation on a bilateral basis and under the auspices of the United Nations. Together with the other states of die European Union and North America, Germany wants to help the Asia-Pacific states and organizations to assume their full share of responsibility for Peacekeeping, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, socio-economic development, international trade and financial relations, environmental issues and human rights.
317. German foreign and security policy involves the interlinking and fair reconciliation of interests in, for and with the international community. As a democratic, free and prosperous nation, Germany's interest is to actively participate, as a matter of principle, in international peacekeeping tasks on the basis of the UN Charter.
318. On the basis of values and interests, the lessons of history and the transformed security situation, German security Policy is geared to attaining the following goals:
* Protection of Germany and its citizens against danger from without and political blackmail;
* Prevention, containment and termination of crises and conflicts that could impair the integrity and stability of Germany or its allies;
* Development of the security relationship with the USA, which is based on common values and similar interests;
* Strengthening of NATO as a community of shared values and a defensive alliance of the Euro-Allantic, democracies and continuing adaptation of the Alliance to current security challenges, including its opening to the east;
* Partnership with equal rights between a united Europe and North America;
* Intensification of European integration by expanding the European union with a Common Foreign and security Policy and a European defence identity; development of the WEU as the defence component of the European Union and as the European pillar of the North Atlantic Alliance;
* Enlargement of the European Union and Western European Union (WELD;
* Strengthening of the United Nations as a global conflict-settling authority and the CSCE as a regional. Arrangement;
* Creation of a new cooperative security order between all states participating in the CSCE;
* Consolidation and expansion of a regionally and globally effective security order of organizations that complement and strengthen one another;
* Continuation of an arms control process based on the goal of foresighted conflict prevention, with a vim to creating a cooperative security order as a basis for lasting peace and stability in and for Europe;
* Promotion of democratization and socio-economic progress in Europe and throughout the world.
319. The end of the East-West confrontation opens up an opportunity to strengthen the United Nations as a system of collective security and to enable it to actually perform its worldwide peacekeeping task. Thus, over the past few years, Germany has provided personnel and material support to United Nations humanitarian and peace missions. Germany is rightly expected to bear its share of responsibility and to participate. The Federal Government is prepared to assume this responsibility. It is thus in the interests of the predictability of German foreign and security policy and in the interests of the Bundeswehr that the constitutional bases for all Bundeswehr operations be clarified. Right from the outset, the Federal Government has endeavoured to bring about a political consensus as far-reaching and acceptable as possible, to enable Germany to fully assume its international responsibility. The parliamentary parties of the Coalition haw thus proposed a clarifying amendment to the Basic Law in this context, each operation will have to be reviewed to see whether them is a political concept for resolving the conflict and whether the employment of military means is likely to contribute to overcoming the conflict. It will also be necessary to consider in each individual case whether the possibilities for peaceful resolution of the conflict have been exhausted and whether it is in keeping with German, interests and values that a military contribution be made to overcoming the conflict. Ultimately, it is important that Germany will never act alone, but only with its allies and partners.
History has shown that an aggressor is less likely to cross the threshold and use force the more certain he is that the use of counterforce has to be reckoned with. Even after the end of the East-West conflict, lasting peace cannot be guaranteed without the possibility of employing armed forces if necessary.
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