Economy, security crises in focus as Obama arrives in Germany

U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Germany on Sunday to hold talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, one of his closest allies in dealing with a shaky global economy and security crises in the Middle East and Ukraine. It will be the last stop on a six-day foreign journey where Obama has sought to shore […]

U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Germany on Sunday to hold talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, one of his closest allies in dealing with a shaky global economy and security crises in the Middle East and Ukraine.
It will be the last stop on a six-day foreign journey where Obama has sought to shore up U.S. alliances he views as key to increase trade, defeat Islamic State militants and offset Russian intervention in Ukraine and Syria.
Obama, who is in the last nine months of his presidential term, spent three days in London where he urged Britons to remain in the European Union in a June referendum, a vote that could have global economic consequences.
Earlier in the week, he met with Gulf leaders in Riyadh to try to allay fears that Washington had become less committed to their security, especially after the nuclear deal with the Saudis’ regional rival Iran.
In Hanover, he will tour and speak at a massive industrial trade fair with Merkel. The leaders want to breathe life into a U.S.-European free trade accord still under negotiation which supporters say could boost each economy by some $100 billion.