Obama meets Germany’s Merkel next week, Afghanistan, economy on agenda

October 7th, 2009 President meets with national security teamWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama continues a series of consultations on U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan on Wednesday, meeting this time with his national security team.

September 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US Secretary of States Hillary Clinton has said that issues relating to Afghanistan and Pakistan are on top of America's agenda for the forthcoming UN General Assembly. Addressing a gathering at the Brookings Institution here, Clinton said the United States would focus on various issues like the on going struggle in Iraq, Afghanistan and nuclear non-proliferation during the 64th session of the UN General Assembly.

September 13th, 2009 Germany's Merkel faces challenger in TV debateBERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel faced her challenger in a televised debate two weeks before elections, arguing Sunday that the country needs a new center-right government to guide Europe's biggest economy out of the financial crisis. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is opposing Merkel in the Sept.

September 12th, 2009 Germany's Merkel, Steinmeier in live TV debateBERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces off in a live television debate Sunday night against challenger Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who needs a strong performance to lift his struggling center-left party's prospects two weeks before elections. The prime-time debate is being shown on four public and private channels.

September 6th, 2009 Germany's Merkel launches re-election campaignBERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel has kicked off her conservative party's campaign for the Sept. 27 German election by calling for a center-right coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats.

August 4th, 2009 Obama meets with Senate Dems to discuss agendaWASHINGTON — Facing growing public doubts about overhauling health care, President Barack Obama meets with Senate Democrats on Tuesday to discuss his priorities. Tuesday is also Obama's 48th birthday.

June 26th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Iran Friday to end violence against protesters and underscored their commitment to prevent the Islamic state from developing a nuclear weapon. Merkel called the crisis playing out on the streets of Iran "horrifying", while Obama refused to give in to Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's demand for an apology for allegedly interfering in the elections and subsequent mass protests.

June 26th, 2009 Obama renews criticism of Iran in wake of violenceWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says the United States and Germany "speak with one voice" about the civil unrest that erupted in Iran in the wake of a disputed presidential election. Joining German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House, Obama stated again his belief that the Islamic government in Tehran must "respects the rights and heed the will of its people." Speaking of the violence there, the president declared, "We see and we condemn it." Obama and Merkel were expected at Friday's talks to hold to their differing views on the Afghanistan war and economic policy in the midst of worldwide financial problems.

June 26th, 2009 Obama says Merkel smart, trustworthyWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is describing his German counterpart as "smart," and he adds that he can trust what she says. His warm words followed a Friday meeting at the White House with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

June 26th, 2009 No serious contention likely in Obama-Merkel talksWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel probably will hold to their disparate views on the Afghanistan war and economic policy in the midst of worldwide financial problems during a meeting Friday. Despite touchy subjects, the two seemed to hit it off well during Obama's ceremonial visits this month to the Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald and to Dresden, the German city firebombed by the Allies during World War II.

June 26th, 2009 Obama, Merkel to meet Friday at White HouseWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the White House. During a meeting Friday in the Oval Office and a working lunch, the two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of subjects, including the war in Afghanistan and economic policy in the midst of the worldwide recession.

June 26th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama said Friday that he hopes Washington will soon be able to match Germany's commitment to tackling climate change and boosting clean energy. After a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House, Obama said he was "impressed" with Germany's "foresight and commitment to clean energy".

April 2nd, 2009 LONDON - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets with US President Barack Obama later Thursday in the first engagement between the two leaders. The two are here to attend the G20 summit.

March 20th, 2009 BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Thursday against protectionism in the face of the global economic and financial downturn. 'We will master the crisis together,' she told parliament ahead of a European Union (EU) summit in Brussels Thursday.

January 19th, 2009 BERLIN - On the eve of the inauguration of Barack Obama as US president, German Chancellor Angela Merkel sent a warning to the US against the temptation to fall back on protectionist trade policies as a way out of the global financial crisis. Speaking at a meeting of the National Association of German Industry (BDI) in Berlin, Merkel said that after the excesses of the recent past, especially in financial markets, it was time to set up a global regulatory system which contains the essential elements of a social market economy.