Jun
27
Obama, Merkel united front formed after meeting U.S.
Obama, who described Merkel as a friend that could rely on, said the two leaders spoke with one voice in condemning the crackdown on demonstrators in Iran after the disputed elections.
Merkel, who has criticized the economic stimulus plan Obama praised U.S. efforts to combat global warming.
Also noted that a project currently in the U.S. Congress could advancing the international climate change talks to be conducted later this year in Copenhagen.
The chancellor and I have discussed the tragic situation in Iran, Obama said during the opening of a conference Joint press.
Today we speak with one voice. The rights of the Iranian people to assemble, speak freely and make their voices heard are universal aspirations, he said.
The two leaders also discussed how to accelerate the peace process in the Middle East, the fight against extremism in Afghanistan and the formation of a more sustainable with Russia, Obama said.
Obama and Merkel, who will attend next month in Italy at the summit of the Group of Eight world's richest nations (G8), have been in disagreement over how best to extricate the world of recession.
Obama, a Democrat, approved an economic stimulus package of 787,000 million dollars soon after assuming power in January, while Merkel, a conservative, has spoken out against a massive spending to improve the global economy.
underscores our commitment to strengthen financial institutions, and appreciate the commitment of Chancellor Merkel to reform, Obama said in an acknowledgment of their priorities.
On climate change, Merkel was expected to put pressure on Obama to support the objective of the European Union to limit the increase in average global temperatures to no more than two degrees centigrade .
But the chancellor, whose visit coincided with a vote in the House of Representatives of a project that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, came out of his usual and praised the project, which Obama supports, and its potential for advancing the negotiations of the UN in Denmark in December.
You should not underestimate the kind of opportunity that this provides a good and sustainable results at the Conference of Copenhagen, the chancellor said ..
(Additional Reporting by Susan Cornwell in Washington and Noah Barkin in Berlin; Translated Writing in Madrid)