Merkel meets Harris on a farewell visit to Washington

It is likely to be Chancellor Merkel's last visit to the White House.

The list of topics for the working visit to US President Biden is long - and in parts controversial.

Washington - Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and US Vice President Kamala Harris have underlined the importance of shared values ​​in their two countries.

Harris said on Thursday when Merkel arrived for breakfast at the Vice President's office in Washington that she was very honored to meet the Chancellor.

At the start of her visit, Merkel emphasized the need to work together to “strengthen democratic values”.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert had previously announced that there would be an exchange of ideas across the board at the meeting.

Merkel had arrived in Washington the day before on a farewell visit and wanted to meet US President Joe Biden in the White House in the afternoon (8 p.m. German time).

She is the first head of government from Europe that Biden has received in the White House since he took office in January.

The visit is intended to mark the new beginning of German-American relations after a low point in the era of Biden's predecessor Donald Trump.

Biden is trying to repair relations with Germany and other US allies that were heavily strained under Trump.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki had said before Merkel's visit: "Your visit will reaffirm the deep and lasting bilateral relations between the United States and Germany."

New start after the Trump era

A high-ranking US government official emphasized on Thursday: “Germany is one of our most loyal allies.” After the meeting between Merkel and Biden, a “Washington Declaration” will be published “which will outline their common vision for working together to tackle political challenges ".

The government representative also made it clear that the US side does not expect a solution to the conflict over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline at the meeting between Biden and Merkel. She expects Biden to raise his concerns. However, they do not assume that this discussion will lead to a result or an official announcement. The "very productive" talks between representatives of the German government and the USA on the subject would continue in the coming days. Merkel was also skeptical as to whether there would be a final solution now.

The Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline is currently the biggest conflict between the USA and Germany.

It is intended to bring Russian gas to Germany bypassing Ukraine.

The USA and some Eastern European NATO partners fear that Europe is too dependent on Russian energy supplies and therefore reject the project.

Washington and Berlin have been trying to find a compromise for weeks.

According to Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, they have come closer on many points.

Criticism of Merkel's stance on vaccine patents

Other topics of the talks in the White House should be dealing with China and Russia, the threatening situation in Afghanistan shortly before the end of the international military operation and the fight against the corona pandemic.

To combat the corona pandemic, before Merkel's arrival in Washington, numerous organizations called on the Chancellor to give up her resistance to weakening patent protection for vaccines. Biden has spoken out in favor of temporarily suspending patent protection in the global fight against the pandemic.

The transatlantic coordinator of the federal government is hoping for an agreement on the corona-related US entry restrictions.

"The USA should relax its corona entry restrictions for the Schengen area," said Peter Beyer of the "Rheinische Post" (Thursday).

The EU has decided that travelers from the United States will be able to re-enter the European Union more easily.

In the opposite direction, however, strict conditions still apply.

Foreign Minister Maas said on Wednesday that he did not expect any movement on this issue during Merkel's visit to the United States.

A special honor for the Chancellor

Merkel wanted to meet with representatives of the US economy after breakfast with Harris.

Then the Chancellor was to be awarded an honorary doctorate from Johns Hopkins University and was also to give a speech.

The university praised Merkel as a “global leader of unparalleled determination and integrity”.

The Chancellor not only led Germany, "but was also a beacon for the world in times of crisis, from the great recession to the Covid-19 pandemic".

In the evening, the US President and First Lady Jill Biden wanted to give a dinner in honor of the Chancellor.

According to the White House, Merkel's husband Joachim Sauer should also take part.

Then Merkel and her delegation wanted to fly back to Germany.

Biden's predecessor Trump saw Germany more as a competitor and less as an ally. The Republican had repeatedly criticized German defense spending, the German trade surplus and Nord Stream 2. dpa