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Foreign Relations of Germany faced new challenges after the unification of East and West Germany on 3rd October 1990. German Foreign relations had to be reworked against the backdrop of domestic unrest and strife. German Foreign policy, which had enabled many asylum-seekers to move to Germany, needed to be worked out. Following the unification of the two German nations, East and West, the European Community (EC) worked out new changes. These changes offset alterations in the Foreign policy of Germany.
From 1990 to 1995, Germany had taken in a considerable number of asylum-seekers, more than all the other European nations combined together. This antagonized many German inhabitants. German workers are among the most highly paid and benefited in the world. As factors of production were high, companies started moving out of Germany, contributing to unemployment in Germany.
In 1991, after Germany's unification, twelve member nations of the European Community signed the Treaty of European Union (or Masstricht Treaty) for forming the European Union for unifying entire Europe. Russia and other Soviet nations entered into relationships with Germany.
As part of its foreign policy measures, Germany during the Persian Gulf War of 1991 guarded the Mediterranean Sea off the Syrian and Egyptian coasts. Between May 1991 and October 1993 Germany helped the American troops in Cambodia. The German military helped United Nations operations in Somalia. Further, in United Nations' Kurdish safe zone operation in Iraq German air force played a vital role. As part of United Nations' 'deny flight' operations, German planes were used in North Atlantic Treaty Organization mission in Bosnia.
Foreign relations of Germany gradually redefined itself with North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE), Western European Union (WEU), and United Nations (UN).
