Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (four plus two agreement)

• Country/entity

  France
  Germany
  Russia
  United Kingdom
  United States of America
  
• Region

  Europe and Eurasia
  Europe and Eurasia
  Europe and Eurasia
  Europe and Eurasia
  Americas
  
• Agreement name

  Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (four plus two agreement)
• Date

  12 Sep 1990
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Interstate/interstate conflict ( Second World War (1939-1945) )
• Stage

  Framework/substantive - comprehensive
• Conflict nature

  Territory
• Peace process

  Post-WWII Germany normalisation process
• Parties

  Federal Republic of Germany
  German Democratic Republic
  French Republic
  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  United States of America
• Third parties

  -
• Description

  A treaty between Germany and the Allies, formally providing a final settlement with Germany, with reference to the second world war, by suspending the allies powers and responsibilities with reference to German territory.

• Agreement document

  FR_DE_RU_UK_US_900912_Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (four plus two agreement).pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

TREATY

ON THE FINAL SETTLEMENT WITH RESPECT TO GERMANY·

The Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, the French Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America,

Conscious of the fact that their peoples have been living together in peace since 1945;

Mindful of the recent historic changes in Europe which make it possible to overcome the division of the continent;

Having regard to the rights and responsibilities of the Four Powers relating to Berlin and to Germany as a whole, and the corresponding wartime and post-war agreements and decisions of the Four Powers;

Resolved in accordance with their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations1 to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;

Recalling the principles of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe', signed in Helsinki;

Recognizing that those principles have laid firm foundations for the establishment of a just and lasting peaceful order in Europe;

Determined to take account of everyone's security interests;

Convinced of the need finally to overcome antagonism and to develop co-operation in Europe;

Con.firming their readiness to reinforce security, in particular by adopting effective arms control, disarmament and confidence-building measures;

their willingness not to regard each other asadversaries but to work for a relationship of trust and co-operation;

and accordingly their readiness to consider positively setting up appropriate institutional arrangements within the framework of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe;

Welcoming the fact that the German people, freely exercising their right of self­ determination, have expressed their will to bring about the unity of Germany as a state so that they will be able to serve the peace of the world as an equal and sovereign partner in a united Europe;

·

Convinced that the unification of Germany as a state with definitive borders is a significant contribution to peace and stability in Europe;

Intending to conclude the final settlement with respect to Germany;

Recognizing that thereby, and with the unification of Germany as a democratic and peaceful state, the rights and responsibilities of the Four Powers relating to Berlin and to Germany as a whole lose their function;

Represented by their Ministers for Foreign Affairs who, in accordance with the Ottawa Declaration of 13 February 1990, met in Bonn on 5 May 1990, in Berlin on 22 June 1990, in Paris on 17 July 1990 with the participation of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, and in Moscow on 12 September 1990;

Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE I

(I) The united Germany shall comprise the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic and the whole of Berlin.

Its external borders shall be the borders of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic

1 Treaty Series No.

67 (1946), Cmd.

7015. '

Cmnd.

6198.

3

21l)b-l A2

Republicand shall bedefinitive from thedate on which the present Treaty comesintoforce.

The confirmation of the definitive nature of the borders of the united Germany is an essential element of the peaceful order in Europe.

The united Germany and the Republic of Poland shall confirm the existing border betweenthem in a treaty that is binding under international law.

The united Germany has no territorial claims whatsoever against other states and shallnotassertanyinthefuture.

The Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic shall ensure that the constitution of the united Germany does not contain any provision incompatible with these principles.

This applies accordingly to the provisions laid down in the preamble, the second sentence of Article 23, and Article 146 of theBasic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Governments of the French Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America take formal note of the corresponding commitments and declarations by the Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic and declare that their implementation will confirm the definitive nature of the united Germany's borders.

ARTICLE 2

The Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic reaffirm their declarations that only peace will emanate from German soil.

According to theconstitution of the united Germany, acts tending to and undertaken with the intent to disturb the peaceful relations between nations, especially to prepare for aggressive war, are unconstitutional and a punishable offence.

The Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic declare that the united Germany will never employ any of its weapons except in accordance with its constitution and the Charter of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 3

1 will continue to apply to the united Germany.

The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, acting in fullagreementwith the Government of the German Democratic Republic, made the following statement on 30 August 1990 in Vienna at the Negotiations on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe:

"The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany undertakes to reduce the personnel strength of the armed forces of the united Germany to 370,000 (ground, air and naval forces) within three to four years.

This reduction will commence on the entry intoforce of the first CFE agreement.

Within the scope of this overall ceiling no more than 345,000 will belong to the ground and air forces which, pursuant to the agreed mandate, alone are the subject of the Negotiations on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

The Federal Government regards its commitment to reduce ground and air forces as a significant German contribution to the reduction of conventional armed forces in Europe.

It assumes that in follow-on negotiations the other participants in the negotiations, too, will render their contribution to enhancing security and stability in Europe, including measures to limit personnel strengths."

The Government of the German Democratic Republic has expressly associated itself with

this statement. •

The Governments of the French Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America take note of these statements by the Governments of the Federal Republic of Germanyand the GermanDemocraticRepublic.

'Treaty Series No.

88 (1970), Cmnd.

4474.

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ARTICLE4

The Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic RepublicandtheUnionofSovietSocialistRepublicsstatethattheunitedGermanyand the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics will settle by treaty the conditions for and the duration of the presence of Soviet armed forces on the territory of the present German DemocraticRepublicandofBerlin,asofthewithdrawalofthesearmed forceswhichwillbe completed by the end of 1994, in connection with the implementation of the undertaking of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 3 of the present Treaty.

ARTICLE 5

Until the completion of the withdrawal of the Soviet armed forces from the territory of the present German Democratic Republic and of Berlin in accordance with Article 4 of the present Treaty, only German territorial defence units which are not integrated into the alliance structures to which German armed forces in the rest of German territory are assigned will be stationed in that territory as armed forces of the united Germany.

During that period and subject to the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article, armed forces o.f other states will not be stationed in that territory or carry out any other military activity there.

Following the completion of the withdrawal of the Soviet armed forces from the territory of the present German Democralic Republic and of Berlin,units ofGerman armed forces assigned to military alliance structures in the same way as those in the rest of German territory may also be stationed in that part of Germany, but without nuclear weapon carriers.

This does not apply to conventional weapon systems which may have other capabilities in addition to conventional ones but which in that part of Germany are equipped for a conventional role and designated only for such.

Foreign armed forces and nuclear weapons or their carriers will not be stationed in that part of Germany or deployed there.

6

The right of the united Germany to belong to alliances, with all the rights and responsibilities arising therefrom, shall not be affected by the present Treaty.

ARTICLE 7

The French Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the UnitedKingdom

of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America herebyterminate

their rights and responsibilities relating to Berlin and to Germany as a whole.

As a result, the corresponding, related quadripartite agreements, decisions and practices are terminated and all related Four Power institutions are dissolved.

.. (2) The united Germany shall have accordingly full sovereignty over its internal and

external affairs.

5

ARTICLE 8

(I) The present Treaty is subject to ratification or acceptance as soon as possible.

On the German side it will be ratified by the united Germany.

The Treaty will therefore apply to the united Germany.

(2) The instruments of ratification or acceptance shall bedeposited with the Government of the united Germany.

That Government shall inform the Governments of the other Contracting Parties of the deposit of each instrument of ratification or acceptance.

ARTICLE 9

The present Treaty shall enter into forcefor the united Germany, the French Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America on the date of deposit of the last instrument of ratification or acceptance by these states 1.

ARTICLE 10

The original of the present Treaty, of which the English, French, German and Russian texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, which shall transmit certified truecopies to the Governments of the other Contracting Parties.

In witness whereof, the undersigned plenipotentiaries, duly authorized thereto, have signed this Treaty.

Done at Moscow this twelfth day of September 1990.