Bilateral relations between the two countries is very good, said Chancellor Angela Merkel at a joint press conference. But there is still scope to expand cooperation, she added, pointing to the domestic reform agenda of Chile’s President. Germany will try to cooperate very closely on certain points of this agenda.

Commodities, renewable energy and dual vocational training

The Chancellor sees great opportunities to cooperate in the commodities sector and in parallel dual vocational training for the sector. Chile is suffering from a shortage of young people with sound technical training. Angela Merkel pointed to the cooperation arrangement involving the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Chemnitz and the German-Chilean Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is dedicated to vocational training.

The Chancellor described cooperation between Chile and German universities and research facilities as "intensive". With a view to the German schools in Chile and the planned educational reforms in the country, Angela Merkel said that she hoped German would remain an important language in Chile.

The talks also explored opportunities for cooperation in the field of renewable energy. With reference to the Association Agreement between the EU and Chile, which dates back to 2005, the Chancellor declared that she would be working within the EU for a modernisation of the agreement.

Cooperation on commodities

Since Chile’s return to democracy in 1990, bilateral relations have expanded on all fronts. The good relations between the two countries were underscored by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Santiago in 2013, during which both sides agreed, among other things, to step up cooperation on questions relating to commodities.

Within the scope of the visit, the two governments signed a joint declaration on cooperation in the fields of mining and mineral raw materials. The German-Chilean Forum for Mining and Mineral Resources was established at the beginning of July 2013. The institutionalisation and intensification of cooperation is also being promoted by the setting up of a Competence Centre for Mining and Mineral Resources at the German-Chilean Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the establishment of a strategic partnership between the chamber and the research section of Chile’s National Mining Society

Economic cooperation

Since 2004, the focus of bilateral economic cooperation with Chile has been renewable energy and energy efficiency. The German government is currently promoting a project that aims to enhance energy efficiency and use combined heat and power in public hospitals, as well as a solar energy project and a measure that is working on a strategy to expand net-bound renewable energy.

Important trading partner

Germany is Chile’s most important trading partner within the European Union.

Germany’s principal exports to Chile are aircraft, ships, rail vehicles and cars, plant and mechanical engineering products, electricity generation and distribution equipment, electrical goods, medical and photographic equipment, measurement and control technology, chemical products and non-precious metal goods. Copper and related products remain Chile’s principal exports to Germany.

Germany also imports from Chile sizeable quantities of fruit, preserved foods and juices, wine, fish and processed fish products, meat and animal-derived foods, cellulose, wood and chemical products.