The contracting parties agree that having a second political center in the city of Bonn has proven to be an important resilience factor for the federal government, especially in times of crisis. The division into two locations is also a considerable advantage in the competition for skilled workers and for the availability of properties and land.

Against this backdrop, it is the declared aim of the federal government to continue to support the City of Bonn region in profitably consolidating its strengths in the interests of the state as a whole. To this end, Bonn is to be secured as an administrative location for the federal government, Bonn is to be expanded as a location for the United Nations and international and supranational institutions and as a place for culture and the promotion of democracy.

In addition, Bonn is to be strengthened as a science location for the environment, sustainability, development and cyber security. 

The Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building has commissioned four feasibility studies and expert opinions to further examine and refine the details of the individual key points envisaged and also to prove that their implementation is in the federal interest. These include a feasibility study on the Federal City of Bonn region as a national and international cyber security location, a concept study on the planned Forum Exilkultur, a brief report on the Federal City of Bonn region as a place to promote democracy and a brief report on the Federal City of Bonn region as a center for researching and promoting resilience. The results of the studies will be available shortly.

Klara Geywitz, Federal Minister of Housing, Urban Development and Building and Federal Government Commissioner for the Berlin Relocation and the Bonn Compensation: “The federal capital Berlin and the federal city of Bonn are linked by an eventful political history. Both cities are important places of our democracy. With a second federal political center, we are more resilient to crises and use the strengths of the respective locations. For many people from Germany and abroad, the Federal City of Bonn region is not only a place of work, but also a home. Culture, research and international exchange characterize the region. The supplementary agreement aims to further develop the location in the interests of the entire country. Not only will the region grow, but Germany as a whole will benefit. With the Letter of Intent, we have now secured the good results of our work to date and prepared them for a future federal government. This process was characterized by a close and trusting exchange, many thanks to everyone involved.”

Mayor Katja Dörner welcomes the fact that the federal government has made a clear and unequivocal commitment to Bonn as a second federal political center in this key issues paper. “This is also an important signal to the many qualified employees in the ministries and federal institutions,” said Mayor Dörner. “We have identified a large number of projects that will build on the strengths of Bonn and the region in the interests of the state as a whole. I hope that the concrete results from this letter of intent and the results of the studies will be taken up by a new federal government and that we will quickly conclude a supplementary agreement. My sincere thanks go to Minister Klara Geywitz for her stringent and fair conduct of negotiations. We have never been this far with the supplementary agreement we have been striving for for so long.” In conclusion, the Mayor emphasized: “This letter of intent should send out the signal that we are looking to the future and are thinking ahead and developing Bonn and the region as a resilience factor for the federal government.”

Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the State Chancellery: “30 years after the capital city decision, the division of labour between Berlin and Bonn has proven its worth and is now recognized as a real factor for resilience. If there were no second federal political center, it would have to be invented at the latest after the experiences of the pandemic, war and energy crisis. With this in mind, we want to and will use the region's strengths to the benefit of Germany as a whole.

With the 'Letter of Intent', we have today achieved a good and resilient interim result that creates a clear perspective for a future federal government with regard to the supplementary agreement. This goal is a high priority for the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia. That is why we will continue to push ahead with this issue in close cooperation with Bonn and the region.

As the cradle of our democracy, the City of Bonn has made a major contribution to Germany. We want to ensure that Bonn continues to serve as an international calling card for the future of Germany. As a federal city, an important UN location and a well-positioned science and research region, Bonn provides added value for the whole of Germany.”

Dr. Fedor Ruhose, Head of the State Chancellery of Rhineland-Palatinate: “Germany draws its strength from the diversity of its regions and their competencies. The Bonn region, including the Rhineland-Palatinate municipalities concerned, has developed great strengths in recent decades, for example as a location for international science, as a cultural beacon, but also in the area of promoting democracy, which must be further promoted - especially in the interests of the Federal Republic as a whole. The division of labor between the two government locations of Berlin and Bonn, which has been consolidated over the years, represents an important resilience factor for the federal government and an important location condition for the region. The advantages are obvious, particularly in the search for skilled workers and the strengthening of economic power, but also in the availability of properties and land.

I am therefore delighted that today, after months of constructive cooperation between the federal government, the state governments and the districts involved, we have been able to set out the results of our negotiations to date on the further development of the Federal City of Bonn region in a joint declaration of intent. We have thus created a good basis for continuing the negotiations with the new federal government quickly after the federal elections.

District Director Svenja Udelhoven signed on behalf of the districts of Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, Ahrweiler and Neuwied on behalf of District Administrator Sebastian Schuster (Rhein-Sieg-Kreis), Horst Gies, First District Councillor on behalf of District Administrator Cornelia Weigand (Ahrweiler district) and District Administrator Achim Hallerbach (Neuwied district). The districts explain: “With today's signing of the Letter of Intent, we have taken an important step together to record the results of the negotiations of the past years and to create a clear basis for the talks with the next federal government. The Federal City of Bonn region is and will remain Germany's second federal political center - the Berlin/Bonn Act is the key basis for this. It is a positive signal that the federal government remains clearly committed to the Federal City of Bonn region as an administrative and government location and to fair job sharing. Bonn is not only the seat of six federal ministries with first offices, but together with the region it is also home to numerous international organizations, top research institutions and central authorities. This established profile must be strengthened in the long term.

The current and probably also future challenges facing the Federal Republic of Germany show very clearly how sustainable and important a second federal political location is for the whole of Germany. A division of tasks between two very well networked and closely connected locations that strengthens resilience is forward-looking and smart. We three districts - the districts of Ahrweiler, Rhein-Sieg and Neuwied - and the federal city of Bonn accept this responsibility together with the federal government and expressly strengthen and consolidate it with our commitment to the priority topics in the Letter of Intent. Our thanks go to Minister Geywitz and her team for the constructive way in which we have achieved this result together.  It is now important that the next federal government not only continues to pursue the measures set out in the Letter of Intent, but also swiftly translates them into a binding supplementary agreement.”

The signatories to the letter of intent emphasize that they continue to strive to bring the supplementary agreement to a successful conclusion. In order to accompany the measures laid down in the planned supplementary agreement, a joint monitoring process is to be initiated and a new, permanent discussion format established in which representatives of the federal government and the Federal City of Bonn region as well as the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate are to participate. The aim is a trusting exchange and improved flow of information. 

Translated with deepL.com (free version)