On the last leg of his final European tour as the US president, Barack Obama has landed in Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom he has established a close friendship during his time in office.
White House officials said on Wednesday that during his meeting with Merkel, the outgoing US president will highlight shared values, thank the German chancellor for her friendship during his eight years in office, and try to ease concerns about the future of a transatlantic partnership that President-elect Donald Trump may now call into question.
Obama, who ahead of the visit called Merkel his “closest international partner”, was hosted for a dinner by the chancellor at Berlin’s famous Adlon hotel on Wednesday evening. He will also hold meetings Merkel, British and French leaders on Thursday.
Obama and Merkel, who took power three years before him, developed a strong partnership, despite rifts over revelations of the American spying…