"We are at a critical phase of elaborating a new climate change agreement," said Chancellor Angela Merkel. Peru is hosting this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, the last before the Paris Conference in 2015, when a global climate change agreement is to be adopted that can come into force in 2020. President Ollanta Humala is currently in Berlin to attend the Petersberg Climate Dialogue.

The Petersberg Climate Dialogue serves as preparation for the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in December 2014. This, the fifth Climate Dialogue, is being attended by representatives of 35 states, which play a major part in climate change negotiations. Germany hosts the dialogue jointly with the nation that is due to host the next UN Climate Change Conference.

Raw materials, technology and research

The Chancellor pointed to the extremely intensive bilateral relations between the two countries, including close cooperation in the technology sector. The two states signed a German-Peruvian government agreement covering cooperation in the extractive sector, and in the field of industry and technology.

"We will also be stepping up cooperation in the field of science and research," announced the Chancellor. There are scholarship agreements and cooperation arrangements with research structures in Peru, she explained.

Angela Merkel also underscored the importance of the free trade agreement between Peru and the European Union, which has been in force since March 2013. "This is obviously an excellent precondition for further developing trade and change".

Partner in development cooperation

As a partner country of Germany’s development cooperation, Peru has received a total of around two billion euros in assistance within the framework of financial cooperation (FC) and technical cooperation (TC) since bilateral development cooperation was first launched. Development cooperation with Peru focuses on three priority areas:

• Democracy, civil society and public administration
• Drinking water supplies and sanitation

• Sustainable rural development, natural resource management and climate change.

Scientific and research cooperation

When President Ollanta Humala visited Berlin in June 2012, four statements on scientific and research cooperation were signed. In April 2013 the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and Peru’s Ministry of Education also signed the ALEPRONA agreement.

This will initially provide up to 100 scholarships a year for top Peruvian graduates wishing to undertake post-graduate courses (masters’ and doctoral degrees) in Germany.

Economic relations

In 2012 German-Peruvian trade rose by only 2.5% to 3.099 billion US dollars. The bilateral trade balance showed a surplus of 591 million US dollars for Peru. In 2012 Peru’s exports to Germany were worth 1.847 billion US dollars, while imports from Germany were worth 1.252 billion US dollars. In 2013 Germany chalked up a surplus in bilateral trade. Peru’s exports to Germany were worth 1.165 billion US dollars, while imports from Germany rose to 1.385 billion US dollars.