Obama using Germany visit to win support for TTIP
US President Barack Obama has arrived in Germany to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel as he tries to build momentum for a controversial trade deal between the United States and the European Union.
Air Force One landed at Hannover Langenhagen Airport in the capital of the German state of Lower Saxony on Sunday.
Obama joined Merkel at the Hannover Messe, the world's largest industrial technology trade fair, to promote the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which he hopes to finalize before he leaves office in January.
Supporters of the proposed pact say it will make it easier for companies on both sides of the Atlantic to do business and will give a boost to the global economy at a time of economic uncertainty.
However, there is strong opposition to TTIP, particularly in Germany, with critics arguing it will take away many consumer and environmental protections.
Obama said he was determined to conclude the TTIP negotiations despite congressional threats to block the deal.
“But if we have that deal, then the next president can pick that up rapidly and get that done,” he told the BBC in an interview broadcast Sunday.
Thousands of people took to the streets in Hannover on Saturday, the day before Obama arrived. Some carried placards that said “Yes We Can — Stop TTIP!”
Obama will discuss other issues with Merkel, including efforts to counter the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group, improve cooperation on counter-terrorism, and encourage countries to share law enforcement information.
The US president will publicly praise Merkel’s “courageous” handling of the migrant crisis by allowing the resettlement in Germany of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing violence in Syria and other areas of conflict in the Middle East and Africa.
Obama’s trip to Germany comes fresh from a weekend round of gold with British Prime Minister David Cameron and meetings with members of the royal family.
During that visit, the US president called on Britons to vote to stay in the EU as the country is preparing for a referendum on whether to leave the twenty eight-member bloc.
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