Germany and Bolivia traditionally enjoy excellent and cordial relations, and can look back on a development partnership that spans fifty years, said the Chancellor. Development cooperation is now to be further strengthened, with the signing of a new framework agreement. "The priority areas of development cooperation are renewable energy, rural development and vocational education and training."

Remarkable economic growth

The Chancellor praised Bolivia’s progress in the economic sphere. "There have been remarkable achievements in reducing poverty, improving the legal situation of children, on debt reduction and on business development, as well as very impressive economic growth."

Bolivia’s main exports to Germany are mineral resources and agricultural produce as well as leather and textile goods. Its principal imports from Germany are machinery, motor vehicles and vehicle parts, chemical and pharmaceutical products, electrical goods and measurement and control technology.
In 2014, bilateral trade between Germany and Bolivia was worth approximately 302 million US dollars, Bolivian exports to Germany amounting to 136 million US dollars and Bolivian imports from Germany 166.3 million US dollars.

Cooperation on renewable energy

Cooperation in the energy sector is to be stepped up in future. The Chancellor underlined the fact that the two sides agreed to cooperate in the field of renewable energy. "Bolivia would like to invest very strongly in wind power, and has already begun to put in place the necessary framework." There is thus to be "close cooperation with companies producing wind power plants," she said.

President Evo Morales also welcomed German-Bolivian cooperation on wind power. "German technology in this sector is acclaimed around the world," he said. German technology has already been used to build wind power plants with an installed capacity of 50 megawatts in Bolivia, and this cooperation is to be continued.

Cooperation in the fields of justice and mining

In the judicial sector there is also to be close cooperation in future. President Evo Morales stressed that Bolivia’s judiciary still suffers from certain weaknesses. The country needs support to consolidate the judicial system. The Chancellor said, "Germany is ready and willing to send experts to Bolivia." Cooperation with the German Federal Ministry of Justice has already been agreed.

In view of Bolivia’s resource wealth and its huge lithium reserves, Germany can also support Bolivia in the extractive sector. Angela Merkel said, "Bolivia is interested in increasing the value added in Bolivia in the extractive sector." Germany could also provide support in the field of mining safety, she added. "In this field the Bergbauakademie Freiberg (University of Resources) is a good partner," said the Chancellor.

Strengthening the technology transfer

President Evo Morales praised German-Bolivian cooperation in the field of technology transfer. Bolivia is happy to see German businesses offering services in Bolivia, he said. The country has already procured a great deal of technology for power plants from Siemens, for instance.

"We have planned major investments of over one billion US dollars over the next three years. We aim to become the energy centre of South America," declared the Bolivian President. To achieve this, we need German technology.

The Federal President Joachim Gauck then received the Bolivian President, who also visited the German Bundestag and Berlin’s Technical University.

Juan Evo Morales Ayma has held the office of President since 2006. He is Bolivia’s first indigenous President. He heads Bolivia’s social party, the Movimiento als Socialismo and leads the movement defending the rights of coca farmers. In 2009 the United Nations General Assembly declared Evo Morales 2009 "World Hero of Mother Earth".