Relations established since Gabon’s independence are developing in the environmental sector (protection and conservation of the country’s tropical forest) in particular.

Due to its wealth of natural resources, Gabon is classified as a middle-income country and thus no longer benefits from German bilateral development cooperation.

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 under German management and 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.

Bilateral cultural relations are well developed on the whole, even though there is no Goethe-Institut in Libreville. Promoting the German language is one priority, and about 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. Since 1982, the Gabonese Government has awarded scholarships enabling students to study in Germany, where they mainly pursue scientific disciplines.

The two countries enjoy good cooperation in international organisations. Germany and Gabon are working together to protect and conserve the tropical rainforest in the Congo Basin through the Congo Basin Forest Partnership and other structures. A number of joint resolutions on the fight against poaching in Central Africa and the illegal trade in animals have been successfully tabled to the UN General Assembly since 2015.