Relations established since Gabon’s independence focus on the environmental sector in particular, including the protection and conservation of the country’s tropical forest.

Cooperation in science and research is a further important component of bilateral relations. The Gabonese research institute Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), which is funded by Germany, is playing a leading role in research into tropical diseases such as malaria, Ebola, schistosomiasis and tuberculosis, as well as regional coronavirus variants.

Promoting the German language is one priority of bilateral cultural relations, and around 4400 people are studying German at 27 schools. In 2010, a German Department was established at the Université Omar Bongo in Libreville. In addition, there are two higher education partnerships and an intensive exchange of students and scientists.

With its wealth of natural resources, Gabon is classified as a middle-income country and therefore does not benefit from German bilateral development cooperation.