East Germany–Pakistan relations
East Germany–Pakistan relations were limited and often hostile during the Cold War. Relations began in the 1950s, but East Germany usually followed the Soviet Union’s lead and did not pursue an independent policy. In the 1960s, ties deteriorated after Pakistan’s role in a notorious incident in the Soviet Union, even as West Germany's ties with Pakistan grew.
Both German states favored India, the region’s largest economy, and East Germany supported India due to a friendship treaty with the Soviet Union in 1972. East Germany remained neutral in the 1971 India–Pakistan war and, in 1972, became the first European country to recognize Bangladesh after its independence. In the 1980s, East Germany supported the USSR and Afghanistan in the Soviet–Afghan War, while Pakistan backed the mujahideen. East Germany saw Pakistan as a US ally and gave it little priority in its foreign policy. West Germany, in contrast, saw Pakistan as a successful example of development policy in the developing world.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:50 (CET).