Obama and Merkel's Press Conference June 7

See the State dinner schedule of events here. Entire press conference:

Obama's Schedule June 7

All times are eastern.

9:15 AM
The Obamas and the Bidens welcome Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany to the White House.

10:15 AM
Obama holds a bilateral meeting with Chancellor Merkel; Biden also attends.

11:00 AM
Obama holds an expanded bilateral meeting with Chancellor Merkel and official U.S., German delegations.

11:35 AM
Obama and Chancellor Merkel hold a joint press conference. LIVE STREAM

12:30 PM
The Bidens and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton host a lunch in honor of Chancellor Merkel.

6:00 PM
The Obamas welcome Chancellor Merkel.

6:30 PM
Barack and Michelle Obama take official photo with Chancellor Merkel.

7:35 PM
The Obamas attend the State Dinner with Chancellor Merkel; President Obama and Chancellor Merkel each deliver a toast.

8:55 PM
The Obamas attend the State Dinner Reception with Chancellor Merkel; The Bidens also attend.

Obama and Merkel Have Pre State Dinner

Merkel, Obama, Cameron at G8

The big day is tomorrow, a fancy ceremonial dinner at the White House. Tonight, dinner in Georgetown at 1789 restaurant:

Obama is devoting an unusual degree of personal attention to Merkel's visit. His motorcade pulled up to Blair House, the government guest house across from the White House where the chancellor is staying, and whisked her to the city's Georgetown neighborhood Monday evening for dinner at an elegant restaurant modeled on a country inn. They emerged after about two hours. Read more at AP

It's strange the press would characterize Obama's attention to Merkel's visit as "unusual." Don't world leaders deserve a certain amount of respect as guests of the U.S? Don't Obama and Merkel have a lot to talk about? Afghanistan, Libya, the economy...

Obamas Host State Dinner for Germany June 7

From the White House:
President Obama and the First Lady will welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband, Dr. Joachim Sauer, to the White House for an Official Visit and State Dinner on June 7, 2011. This will be the first Official Visit by a German chancellor since Helmut Kohl was hosted at the White House in 1995. Chancellor Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany and who became Germany’s first woman chancellor in 2005, received the 2010 Medal of Freedom, which the President will present to her during this visit.

The Chancellor’s visit underscores the fundamental importance of the U.S.-German alliance, the depth of the friendship between our people, and our commitment to move forward together on behalf of our shared interests and values. The President and the Chancellor will discuss the broad array of issues on which the United States and Germany cooperate closely, including in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Iran, and on promoting human rights and global economic stability and growth.

Obama and Merkel's Remarks Before Their Meeting in Seoul at G20

Obama's Schedule in South Korea Nov. 11

The times posted are eastern time.

12:00 AM	The President and President Lee hold a joint press conference Local Event Time: 2:00 PM KST Blue House, Seoul, South Korea Expanded Pool Press
1:30 AM	The President holds a bilateral meeting with President Hu Local Event Time: 3:30 PM KST Grand Hyatt Hotel, Seoul, South Korea Pool Spray at the Top
3:00 AM	The President holds a bilateral meeting with Chancellor Merkel Local Event Time: 5:00 PM KST Grand Hyatt Hotel, Seoul, South Korea
4:35 AM	The President attends the G-20 official welcome reception Local Event Time: 6:35 PM KST National Museum of Korea Travel Pool Coverage
5:00 AM	The President attends G-20 working dinner Local Event Time: 7:00 PM KST National Museum of Korea Closed Press

Obama G8 Photos 2010

See Obama's G20 schedule tomorrow here.
Obama's arrival to G8

Obama, Medvedev, Harper

Obama, Zuma, Cameron

Obama and African Outreach Leaders family photo

Obama, Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal

Obama, Cameron, Merkel

Obama Meets With Angela Merkel Nov. 3

Chancellor Merkel is going to be the first German chancellor in 50 years to address Congress. Today they met on climate change and the Afghanistan war, among other issues:

Merkel addresses Congress:

Pittsburgh G20 Photos 2009

Working din din at the G20Obama and Australian PM Kevin Rudd
Obama and Brazil's Da Silva (also Obama's Olympic competition) Rio de Janeiro is in the running with Chicago.
Obama and Mike Froman, deputy NSA
Obama and Germany's re-elected chancellor Angela Merkel
Obama and Russia's Dmitry Medvedev
Obama and Indonesia's president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Obama and China's president Hu Jintao
Obama and Gordon Brown and Nicholas Sarkozy

Obama's G-8 Agenda

The agenda for the day from the official G-8 Summit website:

The first day of the G8 Summit in L'Aquila is now under way. The Heads of State and Government Leaders arrive in the course of the morning. Before the working sessions got under way, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi escorted German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Onna, a village that has become the very symbol of the earthquake.

The Abruzzo Summit starts officially at around 13:00 with a working luncheon for the G8 Leaders, devoted to the global economy. Prime Minister Berlusconi welcomes the Heads of State and Government Leaders outside the Heads of Delegations dining area, where the luncheon is being held. The 'family photo' of the Eight Leaders will be taken after the first working session.

The first working session is on the slate for 15:30, running until 17:30. Prime Minister Berlusconi will accompany US President Barack Obama at around 17:45 to visit the historic centre of L'Aquila, which was so badly damaged in the earthquake. Berlusconi will then take Russian Federation President Dmitriy Medvedev on a tour of the same area.
Meanwhile, the first ladies will tour Rome:

The spouses of the Heads of State and Government Leaders meeting at the G8 Summit in L'Aquila are spending the day in Rome.

Their schedule includes a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican in the morning,a welcome luncheon at Rome's Campidoglio city hall and a guided tour of the Capitoline Museums.

The First Ladies will be accompanied to the Caffarelli terrace by Isabella Alemanno,the wife of the Mayor of Rome,together with Ministers Mara Carfagna and Maria Stella Gelmini. In the evening,Ms.Clio Napolitano,the wife of the President of the Republic, will be holding a cocktail party for the first ladies in the Sala degli Specchi at the Quirinale.

Tomorrow the world leaders will focus on policies to alleviate poverty.

On global climate change:

The leaders may fall short on reaching a commitment to keep the globe's average temperature rise under 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit in a bid to contain global warming. The United States, Japan, Canada and Russia — half of the G-8 — have previously refused to back it, and the White House declined Wednesday to comment if it had signed off on a statement citing the temperature threshold.
U.S. backing for the deal would mark an abrupt turnaround from the Bush administration's stand and be a strong gesture to developing nations.

'Right direction'
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told reporters that he hoped that the leaders could agree to the specific limit on the rise in temperature.

"We are not yet there where we would like to be but I think things are shaping in the right direction for Copenhagen," Barroso said, referring to the next meeting of a key international summit to replace the Kyoto protocol in December. MSNBC

White House fact sheet on the G-8.

Obama and Merkel News Conference June 26

Obama and Chancellor Angela Merkel met this morning in the Oval office ahead of the G8 summit next week.
Ahead of the video, which I'll post later if it comes available, is some of what he and Merkel said--PARAPHRASED:
Discussed the tragic situation in Iran. They talked about the peoples' bravery. He said we see the violence and we condemn it. They discussed Iran's nuclear program.
They discussed the Middle East.
We agreed on confronting extremism in Aghanistan and Pakistan
They talked about working with the Russian government to advance common interests such as reducing nuclear arsenals.
Merkel:
Today, challenges can't be met by one nation going it alone.
Iranian people need to be given the rights to peaceful demonstrations and votes recounted. The Iranian nuclear program needs to stop.
They talked about climate and the economy. The bill in the House means the U.S. is serious about climate, she said. It's an enormous success that I wouldn't have thought possible a year ago.
They take questions:
NYT: Have you changed your view on Mousavi and Ahmandinejad and will you apologize to Ahmadinejad for meddling (what?)
Obama said given the structure of the power of the government and the power residing with Khamenei, we could not automatically assume there could be a huge shift on those security issues. What's clear over the course of days, Mousavi has shown to capture the imagination and the spirit of forces within Iran who want to open up. He represents people on the streets. I continue to believe Iranians need to decide who their leaders are going to be. A govt. that treats their citizens with such violence and can't deal with peaceful protestors has moved outside of universal norms. Merkel and I share the believe the violence is unacceptable.
On the apology: I don't take Ahmadinejad's statements seriously about apologies given the fact that the U.S. has gone out of its way to not meddle. Ahmadinejad needs to think about the obligations he owes to his own people.
On Gitmo: We are going to be looking for the help of our friends and allies as we close Guantanamo that is going to be difficult politically. The EU gave a legal framework of how to evaluate Gitmo detainees. The specifics are still preliminary. Merkel has an obligation to make sure Germany's interests come first. We will continue to have constructive discussions.
Merkel has not made commitments of that sort. Conversation has been general.

Merkel: We aren't going to shirk our responsibility.

Q on dialogue with Iran and what about Iraq deadline:
We are still waiting to see how the situation in Iran plays out. I continue to call on the Iranian govt. to deal with people peacefully. There is no doubt that direct dialogue or diplomacy will be effected by the events of the last several weeks. We don't know how any potential dialogue will be affected. The clock is ticking. Iran's nuke program is moving along. We have to be steady in recognizing that Iran with a nuke is a big problem. We have to work with international community to prevent that from happening. We will see multilateral discussions with Iran. The direct dialogue between the U.S. and Iran we'll have to see how that plays out in days and weeks ahead.
On Iraq, we are concerned about the bombing in Iraq. If you look at the overall trend, despite the high profile bombings, security continues to approve. Still some work to do with Maliki govt. I haven't seen as much political progress as I would've like to seen. There continues to be violence in Iraq but the bigger challenge is can the Shia, Sunni and the Kurds work together.
Merkel:
On Iran, we've seen horrifying scenes. We will do everything to identify the victims. Iran can't count on the world community turning a blind eye. Iran can't gain nukes. I completely agree with the president--we need to bring Russia and China in on this.

Merkel shakes her head as a German reporter asks why Obama hasn't give an interview to German media. He asks something else but the mic is off.

Obama says the times I've visited Germany have been wonderful. I will always have a warm spot in my heart for Germany. We had a rally in Germany. It was pretty good. I like Chancellor Merkel a lot, he said. She's smart, practical and I trust her when she says something. That's what you want from an international partner.
On climate change, Obama boasts the energy bill about to be voted on in the House.

Merkel: I'm gratified Obama is interested in the climate issue. We're both convinced climate change means more than numbers.
Partial video:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Obama Reprimands Press for Wild Speculation

Some members of the German news media have been wound up over the notion of a rift between President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but Obama said Friday that a reporter’s description of the tension as “wild speculation” was more accurate.

A German reporter referenced a back-and-forth between the countries over where Obama would visit on his trip here, and asked Obama about “mild, something even wild speculation” that the tension was related to “your relationship with the chancellor.”

“I think your characterization of wild speculation is accurate — they are very wild and based on no facts,” Obama said.

“So stop it, all of you,” he said with a smile. “I know you have to find something to report on, but we have more than enough problems out there without manufacturing problems.”

He added: “The truth of the matter is, is that the relationship not only between our two countries but our two governments is outstanding.”

For her part, Merkel, who was very close to former President George W. Bush, said she appreciates working with Obama, too.

“It’s fun to work together with the American president because very serious, very thorough analytical discussions very often lead us to draw the same conclusions,” she said. Read more at the WSJ

Obama and Merkel Press Conference June 5

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Obama Visits Buchenwald June 5

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Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Tom Brokaw interviews Obama in Germany:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

NATO Agrees To Boost Troops for Afghan Election

AFP: STRASBOURG (AFP) - NATO leaders pledged thousands more troops for their Afghan mission Saturday and named the organisation's next leader, as violent anti-war demonstrations raged outside the summit.

Britain, Spain and Italy said they would send hundreds of extra troops each to secure Afghanistan's key August presidential election, adding up to what the White House said was a total of "up to 5,000" personnel.

The deal was a victory for new US President Barack Obama, who came to his first NATO summit to promote his new Afghan strategy and warn his allies that Europe would have to shoulder more of the war-fighting burden.

Hardline protesters set fire to the ground floor of a hotel near the summit
"I am pleased that our NATO allies pledged their strong and unanimous support for our new strategy," Obama told reporters.

Although France and Germany were not among the countries who made major new troop commitments, Obama praised President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel as the joint hosts of the 60th anniversary summit.

"This summit and this alliance have delivered," outgoing NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told reporters at the end of the gathering in Strasbourg.

For more on NATO, check out the website here.
NATO protesters. They're largely protesting a U.S. radar installation proposed in the Czech Republic (get background on this project here).

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Obama and Merkel Press Conference Video April 3

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Obama Speaks in Germany on NATO's Future

Obama speaks on G20 and the future of NATO. "I'm here to listen, share new ideas...

Obama's Arrival in Germany Video

Michelle Obama Dines With Germany's First Man

Michelle Obama dines with the reclusive first man of Germany, Joachim Sauer, Chancellor Angela Merkel's husband.

Check out more photos at Spiegel. 
The Obamas and Sarkozys


Prepping for what I have no idea

Awaiting Obama in Germany

In France and Germany on Friday, US President Barack Obama said he wanted to renew the trans-Atlantic partnership. Part of that alliance, though, involves more European troops for Afghanistan, he said. Unexpectedly, Obama called for a world without nuclear weapons.

The reception for Barack Obama was just what most had been expecting. Hundreds of American flag-waving Baden-Baden residents turned out for the arrival of the US president, many of them chanting "Obama, Obama." German Chancellor Angela Merkel received Obama with full military honors. She was joined by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung and a handful of other political luminaries. Read the rest at Spiegel

Sarkozy Praises Brown Throws a Bone to Obama

The Obamas are off to France, where Obama will meet with Sarkozy and hold a town hall meeting. Sarkozy's a funny guy:

Guardian: Nicolas Sarkozy tonight lavished praise on Gordon Brown and Barack Obama for their role in the G20 summit but insisted the "historic" outcome would not have been achieved without pressure from France and Germany.

Hailing the greatest financial reform since the Bretton Woods agreement, and ending "the madness of this time of total deregulation", the French president revealed there had been "tensions in the room" until shortly before the conference ended.

"We would never have hoped to get so much," he said at his final press conference. "This is not the victory of one camp against the other, but shows the growing awareness that the world needs to change."

Sarkozy, backed by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, had several times threatened to walk out if their joint "red lines" on regulation were not preserved – even though this was widely dismissed as tactical posturing.

"Of course, there are tensions, wrestling matches and vested interests, but even our Anglo-Saxon friends are convinced we need reasonable rules," he said.

Sarkozy emphasized his own role in persuading the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, to accept publication of a list of tax havens by the OECD, despite China not being a member of the body.

"If France and Germany had not demanded results would we have achieved them? What do you think? But Gordon Brown played a very, very excellent role, and President Obama helped me enormously on this issue of tax havens.

"President Obama really found the way to consensus. He didn't focus exclusively on stimulus. He was determined to enhance and step up regulation."