Evolution of the arctic strategy of the Federal Republic of Germany

Abstract

The article traces the development of the Arctic strategy of the Federal Republic of Germany in order to identify the evolution of its priorities and main factors. In the understanding of the Arctic strategy, two opposite approaches were formed among German official circles: pragmatic, aimed at maximum extracting economic benefits with rather modest claims for international legal regulation of the Arctic regime and ecocentric which proceeds from the environmental protection priority of the Arctic region and insists on more active international positioning of Germany to solve these problems. Each approach was represented by certain political forces, groups of interests and even ministries. During the 2010s, the pragmatic approach was gradually being replaced by the ecocentric. On the other hand, Germany was more and more skeptical about the possibility of preventing a geopolitical race in the Arctic and therefore systematically expanded its military presence in the region. German Arctic policy is based on current international law and institutions, as well as focuses on the aspiration to bring more strict environmental and technical standards to them, and wide financial support of Arctic research and the assertion of its freedom; synchronization with the Arctic policy of the EU; consideration for the interests of the indigenous population; technological export; active prevention of global warming and expansion of marine protected areas in the Arctic.