- Title: Merkel welcomes Obama at German chancellery
- Date: 17th November 2016
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 17, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SECURITY OUTSIDE HOTEL ADLON CAR CARRYING OBAMA AND MOTORCADE DRIVING OFF U.S. FLAG GERMAN, U.S. AND EUROPEAN UNION FLAGS, GERMAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING IN BACKGROUND PEOPLE WATCHING FROM CHANCELLERY WINDOW CAR CARRYING OBAMA DRIVING PAST CAR PULLING UP IN FRONT OF CHANCELLERY, OBAMA GETTING OUT AND GREETING MERKEL, OBAMA AND MERKEL WALKING INTO CHANCELLERY
- Embargoed: 2nd December 2016 15:06
- Keywords: Barack Obama Angela Merkel chancellery Berlin motorcade
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00158U3JNR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: U.S. President Barack Obama left Berlin's Hotel Adlon on Thursday (November 17) and travelled the short distance to the office of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The president was meeting his staunchest ally for talks as part of his farewell European tour before successor Donald Trump takes office in January.
Obama and Merkel, whom he described ahead of the visit as his "closest international partner", forged a close transatlantic alliance during Obama's eight years in office that President-elect Donald Trump may now call into question.
On his last overseas trip, Obama is seeking to reassure US allies that Trump will maintain key core US strategic relationships around the world, including with NATO, once he takes office in January.
On Friday (November 18), Obama and Merkel are due to hold talks in the German capital with French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
The leaders will discuss extending sanctions imposed on Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, and possible new sanctions for its bombing in Syria, sources familiar with the plans said.
Trump has indicated that he will seek a rapprochement with Russia, raising doubts in Europe about the future of the sanctions regime introduced by Washington and Brussels in 2014 following Russia's intervention in eastern Ukraine.
A German official said the plan was to agree a rollover of EU sanctions against Russia, which are due to expire at the end of January, in the coming weeks. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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