Ministerial Foreword
Germany is one of the world's leading political and economic forces. It is a founding Member State of the European Union and, as this strategy is launched, holds the Presidency both of the EU and the G8. The wealth, power and proximity of Germany all mean that Scotland's relationship will continue to be very important to our own prosperity and culture.
There is a lot to be positive about. Germans visit Scotland in greater numbers than visitors from any overseas country other than the US. Germany is consistently in the top three countries to which Scottish companies export goods. Scottish Development International's presence in Germany supports trade exchange. Just as importantly, there is a good understanding and knowledge between Scots and Germans, fostered in part by the increased number of direct air routes. There is a large and active German community resident in Scotland.
We have strong links on which to build and existing success stories to tell. We've already seen benefits from the political relationships we've established but the message we've taken from those links is that there is a hunger to work together to do more. Our relationship with Germany is an established one but there remain many areas in which we can all make more of the opportunities closer understanding would afford.
There's a lot more we can do and this document sets out how Scottish Ministers will use their influence to develop existing relationships and take new steps to strengthen the links between Scotland and Germany.
As with the other strategies we have for international engagement, the objectives we have set are for Scotland as a whole: government alone cannot deliver them. By working together, the public and private sectors can help create the strong relationship that will benefit both Scotland and Germany.
Tom McCabe, MSP
Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform