The foundation for the development of youth relations between Russia and Germany are the intergovernmental Agreement in the field of youth cooperation of December 21, 2004 (entered into force on October 15, 2005) and the intergovernmental Agreement on cultural cooperation of December 16, 1992.

In accordance with the Agreement on cultural cooperation, Russia and Germany within the limits of their possibilities promote youth exchange as well as cooperation between youth workers and institutions for the social support of youth.

The purpose of the Agreement in the field of youth cooperation is the activation and expansion of Russian-German youth exchange in order to develop comprehensive ties and friendly relations between youth of two states.

This Agreement does not affect youth exchange for the purpose of study or scientific activity (the so-called academic exchanges) as well as exchanges in the field of elite sports. From the Russian side the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation is responsible for the implementation of the Agreement. From the German side the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth is responsible. 

The Agreement provides for youth exchange at the national, regional and municipal levels, on a collective and individual basis, on socio-political, socio-economic, environmental issues as well as on issues of culture, sports, within the framework of relations between sister cities with the participation of youth from all regions, public spheres and social strata.

In order to implement the Agreement, in 2005 the Russian-German Council for Youth Cooperation and in 2006 two national coordination bureaus (the Russian Coordinating Bureau for Youth Cooperation with Germany (Moscow) and the Foundation for German-Russian Youth Exchange (Hamburg)) were established. 

In accordance with the Agreement in the field of youth cooperation, the following programs and forms of youth exchanges are being implemented:

• activities facilitating the establishment of direct communication between young people and the deepening of their mutual understanding, 
• exchange between educational institutions, including exchange of teachers and professors, 
• joint events on socio-political, historical, socio-economic, environmental and legal issues, 
• joint events on culture, science, technology and sports, 
• bilateral voluntary civil and labour actions of youth, 
• youth exchange within the framework of relations between sister cities and Regions of Russia and Germany, 
• joint events for the exchange of experience in the field of youth policy, 
• joint activities in the field of professional training and advanced training of youth workers including internships and internships, 
• cooperation between representatives of youth publishing houses and mass media as well as exchange of young journalists, 
• holding joint colloquia to exchange information on research programs and experience on the results of research in the field of youth policy, 
• joint events of representatives of creative youth and young artists, 
• joint voluntary practice in order to get acquainted with the conditions of life, education and work of youth of the partner state, 
• activities for the study and dissemination of the Russian language in Germany and the German language in Russia, 
• holding joint youth camps, 
• joint participation in multilateral youth actions and programs carried out as part of the initiatives of European and international organizations taking into account the national legislation of Russia and Germany, 
• participation in other programs and cooperation projects in accordance with the objectives of the Agreement and the national legislation of Russia and Germany.

Russian-German youth exchange is carried out on the basis of the principle of reciprocity. This means that the exchange takes place within the framework of a long-term partnership between two organizations in which both organizations are actively involved in the development and implementation of the joint program of the event and its financing. In addition, reciprocity means that the number of meetings held in Russia is approximately equal to the number of meetings in Germany and an equal number of young people from both countries participate in the events.

The organizers of youth exchanges as a rule are schools, vocational colleges and technical schools, universities (with the exception of those implementing academic exchanges), public organizations, sports clubs, administrations of cities and Regions of Russia and Germany implementing partnerships and sister cities, regional and municipal bodies for youth affairs.

The key instrument for implementing bilateral youth cooperation is the annual Russian-German Youth, School and Professional Youth Exchange Program. On average, each year (before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic) the Exchange Program supported by national coordinating bureaus held about 600 bilateral youth events with the participation of 17,000 people.

In 2016-2017 on the initiative of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and under the patronage of the foreign ministers of two countries the Russian-German Year of Youth Exchange was held.

The largest joint events and initiatives within the framework of bilateral youth cooperation since the signing of the 2004 Agreement have been:

• the Russia-German Youth Forum (2004–2019), 
• the Russia-German Youth Parliament (2006–2016), 
• the Russia-German conference of organizers of youth exchange (2007, 2013, 2016), 
• the Russia-German Conference of Young Leaders (2009–2019), 
• the Russia-German Thematic Year 2015-2016 "70th Anniversary of the End of Second World War: Youth Exchange – Mutual Understanding – Common Future", 
• the Youth Forum of Partner Cities of Russia and Germany (2017–2021), 
• the Russia-German Forum of organizers of sports youth exchange (2017–2021), 
• the Russia-German youth project "Football unites" (2018), 
• the Russia-German Fair of Partnerships in the Field of Professional Youth Exchange (2015, 2018), 
• the Russian-German seminar for youth workers "Prevention of radicalism among youth" (2018, 2019), 
• the Youth Forum Potsdam Meetings (2017–2021), 
• the Russia-German seminar of organizers of youth exchange at the regional level (2018, 2019), 
• the Forum "Berlin Dialogue: 15 years of the Agreement in the field of youth cooperation between Russia and Germany – a success story and prospects" (2019).

In 2022 at the initiative of the German side the implementation of bilateral youth projects and programs was suspended.

Germany participates in the development of international youth cooperation through the Council of Europe and the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS).

Source: Sokolova D. International cooperation of the Russian Federation in the field of youth policy // 30 years of state youth policy of the Russian Federation / MIREA – Russian Technological University. – M., 2022. – P. 225–333.

Regulatory legal acts:

Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany in the field of youth cooperation of December 21, 2004

Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on cultural cooperation of December 16, 1992

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation 1717-r of July 2, 2020

Joint Statement of Foreign Ministers on the Year of Exchange 2016-2017

Minutes of the XVII meeting of the Council of November 25, 2021