This evening, the President and the First Lady hosted a State Dinner in honor of Chancellor Merkel during her Official Visit to the White House.
Joining C-SPAN to discuss the Official Visit was Charles Kupchan, Council on Foreign Relations, European Studies Senior Fellow & Former European Affairs Director, White House National Security Council, 1993-94.
The Official Visit is slated as a celebration of the U.S.-German alliance and provides an opportunity for the President and Chancellor to consult on a full agenda of foreign policy, security and economic issues.
This morning, the President welcomed Chancellor Merkel to the White House in an official arrival ceremony. The two leaders then met privately for bilateral talks which was followed by a joint press conference.
The two leaders discussed the ongoing NATO operations in Libya and Afghanistan, democratic transitions in Egypt and Tunisia, Middle East peace, Iran nuclear compliance, along with talks about the global economic recovery.
This afternoon, the Chancellor met with Vice President Biden and visited the State Department for a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.