Germany recognised the Cook Islands as a self-governing country in March 2001, diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on 11 September 2001. The German Embassy responsible for the Cook Islands is based in Wellington, New Zealand. In the country itself, Germany is represented by an honorary consul (based in Avarua on the main island). The Embassy of New Zealand in Berlin represents the Cook Islands in Germany.

Prime Minister Mark Brown took part in a conference on the Green Climate Fund in Bonn in October 2023. In autumn 2023, State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action Jennifer Morgan visited the Cook Islands.

Germany supports the development of the Cook Islands through its contributions to the European Union’s Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) (previously, until 2021, the European Development Fund (EDF)) and in bilateral projects. The scale of bilateral economic relations with Germany is modest. According to Federal Statistical Office figures, Germany exported goods worth 231,000 euro to the Cook Islands in 2023 and imported goods worth 45,000 euro from the country. The Cook Islands’ main trading partners are New Zealand, China, Fiji, the United States, Australia and Japan.