Obama honors Merkel on US visit
Source: Agencies |
June 8, 2011, Wednesday
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OPENING a day focused on both policy and pomp, US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed the relationship between their nations as the cornerstone of efforts to promote peace and prosperity around the world.
The president greeted Merkel yesterday as she arrived at the White House on a warm and muggy day in Washington. Dozens of schoolchildren waving US and German flags were among the crowd gathered on the South Lawn for the elaborate arrival ceremony.
Obama said Merkel's visit reaffirmed the "indispensable" bond between the US and Germany, as well as America's broader relationship with longtime allies in Europe.
"At a time when some have asked whether the rise of new global powers means the decline of others, this visit reaffirms an enduring truth - our alliances with nations like Germany are more important than ever," Obama said.
Merkel noted that Obama, as a candidate for the White House, spoke to more than 200,000 people in Berlin and proclaimed that America has no better partner than Europe. "Now it's my turn," Merkel said. "Europe and Germany have no better partner than America."
Merkel's visit is her sixth trip to the United States since Obama took office. The relationship between the two leaders is cordial but not close. Among the weighty issues they tackled in meetings at the White House yesterday include NATO operations in Afghanistan and Libya, the Middle East peace process and the world economy.
Later, Obama was expected to treat Merkel to a night of high pomp at the White House, awarding her the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a formal dinner, a gesture aimed at boosting their relationship.
On Monday evening the two leaders met for a quiet dinner in the city's historic Georgetown neighborhood at an elegant restaurant modeled on a country inn.
The relationship between the two leaders got off to a rough start during Obama's 2008 campaign when Merkel declined a request to let him speak in front of the Brandenburg Gate - a symbol of the Cold War famously used as a backdrop by Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. A year later, Obama turned down an invitation to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Though Merkel's trip will not be referred to as a "state visit," because she is the head of Germany's government, not its head of state, it will have almost all the trappings. The only difference was that Merkel received a 19-gun salute, while a head of state gets 21.
Regardless of what the visit is called, Merkel is in rarefied company. Visits like these are an honor the US doles out sparingly to close friends and allies. She is the first European leader to receive this treatment from Obama. The White House said it is a sign of the close working relationship they have forged in two and a half years.
Obama awarded Merkel the Medal of Freedom last year but did not have an opportunity to present it to her. At the time, Obama spoke about her youth in communist East Germany and her dreams of freedom that were not realized until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. Obama said her story was an inspiration to people around the world.
The president greeted Merkel yesterday as she arrived at the White House on a warm and muggy day in Washington. Dozens of schoolchildren waving US and German flags were among the crowd gathered on the South Lawn for the elaborate arrival ceremony.
Obama said Merkel's visit reaffirmed the "indispensable" bond between the US and Germany, as well as America's broader relationship with longtime allies in Europe.
"At a time when some have asked whether the rise of new global powers means the decline of others, this visit reaffirms an enduring truth - our alliances with nations like Germany are more important than ever," Obama said.
Merkel noted that Obama, as a candidate for the White House, spoke to more than 200,000 people in Berlin and proclaimed that America has no better partner than Europe. "Now it's my turn," Merkel said. "Europe and Germany have no better partner than America."
Merkel's visit is her sixth trip to the United States since Obama took office. The relationship between the two leaders is cordial but not close. Among the weighty issues they tackled in meetings at the White House yesterday include NATO operations in Afghanistan and Libya, the Middle East peace process and the world economy.
Later, Obama was expected to treat Merkel to a night of high pomp at the White House, awarding her the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a formal dinner, a gesture aimed at boosting their relationship.
On Monday evening the two leaders met for a quiet dinner in the city's historic Georgetown neighborhood at an elegant restaurant modeled on a country inn.
The relationship between the two leaders got off to a rough start during Obama's 2008 campaign when Merkel declined a request to let him speak in front of the Brandenburg Gate - a symbol of the Cold War famously used as a backdrop by Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. A year later, Obama turned down an invitation to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Though Merkel's trip will not be referred to as a "state visit," because she is the head of Germany's government, not its head of state, it will have almost all the trappings. The only difference was that Merkel received a 19-gun salute, while a head of state gets 21.
Regardless of what the visit is called, Merkel is in rarefied company. Visits like these are an honor the US doles out sparingly to close friends and allies. She is the first European leader to receive this treatment from Obama. The White House said it is a sign of the close working relationship they have forged in two and a half years.
Obama awarded Merkel the Medal of Freedom last year but did not have an opportunity to present it to her. At the time, Obama spoke about her youth in communist East Germany and her dreams of freedom that were not realized until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. Obama said her story was an inspiration to people around the world.
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