The Republic of the Congo and Germany have maintained bilateral relations since the early 1960s when the Republic of the Congo gained its independence.

Given the country’s socialist leanings, ties with the German Democratic Republic were initially closer. A town twinning partnership was established, for example, between the capital of the Republic of the Congo, Brazzaville, and the city of Dresden in 1975.
The Republic of the Congo is not one of Germany’s partner countries for bilateral development cooperation because its per capita income is high for the region as it is a producer of oil and gas (OPEC member), however, GIZ was able to open a project office in Brazzaville in 2023. Regional projects supported by Germany whether directly or indirectly (through other cooperation partners) are underway in the field of economic cooperation, focusing above all on climate action, rainforest and environmental protection, as well as biodiversity conservation.

After the Amazon, the Congo Basin is home to the world’s second largest expanse of forest, as well as peat bog forests, which are vital to the global climate. Germany is working through organisations such as CAFI (Central African Forest Initiative), COMIFAC (Commission des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale), the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (Partenariat pour les Forêts du Bassin du Congo) and others to protect the tropical rainforests and peat bogs in the region. The Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the far north of the country receives financial support from the German Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) as part of the Sangha Trinational conservation project (UNESCO natural World Heritage site). The Odzala National Park receives funding within the context of the Legacy Landscape Fund.

Economic relations between the Republic of the Congo and Germany have not yet developed to any great degree. The building of small hydroelectric power plants, afforestation and ecotourism are potentially promising sectors Given the importance of the port city of Pointe‑Noire, a new honorary consul was appointed there in 2024.