German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Washington on March 14 to meet President Trump. This will be their first encounter after a rocky start to relations amid disagreements about trade, Trump’s travel ban and his comments regarding the media.
The meeting between Trump and Merkel is likely to cover a wide range of issues, including the global economy, trade, the fight against the Islamic State, NATO and ties with Russia and China.
The visit comes shortly before a meeting in Germany of the finance ministers of the G20 industrialized countries and will help lay the groundwork for Trump’s visit to Germany in July for a meeting of G20 leaders.
President Trump and Chancellor issued a joint statement after a telephone call in January, underscoring the importance of the NATO alliance and vowing to work together more closely to combat terrorism.
Shortly afterwards, Merkel sharply criticized Trump’s temporary travel ban on citizens from seven majority-Muslim countries. She has also repeatedly underscored the importance of a free press when asked about Trump’s negative comments about the media.
Merkel had a warm relationship with Trump’s predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama.
The meeting between Trump and Merkel is likely to cover a wide range of issues, including the global economy, trade, the fight against Islamic State, NATO and ties with Russia and China.
