By the way, Merkel may have little time to rebuild the “essential” relationship with Reuters

By Andrea Shalal and Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The clock is ticking as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will be ousted by President Joe Biden, will welcome the White House on Thursday, both on the orders of former President Donald Trump to rebuild the bad ties.

The United States and Germany are NATO allies, but are facing serious problems, including the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. Washington fears it will increase confidence in European Russian gas.

They disagree on business agreements with China, restrictions on travel to the United States from Europe, and Germany’s waiver of temporary patents aimed at speeding up production of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Biden, 78, and Merkel, 66, see a chain of broader issues. It is likely to join forces to address threats to democracy around the world, discussing Russia’s push against cyberattacks and territorial attacks in Eastern Europe and China to dominate advanced technologies, officials from both governments said.

They also said the end of the pandemic and halting climate change will come.

But the two leaders don’t spend much time working together to strengthen ties between the world’s largest and fourth-largest economy.

Merkel, who has been chancellor since 2005, plans to step down from the German government after the national elections in September, which is likely to see her as a “lame duck” in the last few months she has been in power.

According to the election, his Christian Democrats have shown that they are ready to lead a democratic government after the election, but it is not clear which party would join a coalition.

The Biden Democratic Party has a large majority in the U.S. Congress that could evaporate in the 2022 congressional election.

John Emerson (NYSE :), a former ambassador to Germany under former President Barack Obama, said the relationship remains “essential” for Washington’s role as Germany’s largest European economy and NATO ally, as well as its importance as a bridge. the builder is in contact with Russia, the Middle East and North Africa.

Germany takes in 36,000 American soldiers on its land.

MAKING CHANGES

Merkel began her official day in Washington with breakfast with Vice President Kamala Harris. “We can really work together to promote our shared values,” Merkel said.

Later, the German leader will attend a one-on-one meeting with Biden, a press conference with the president, and a dinner hosted by Bidens at the White House. He will also make notes after receiving an honorary degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of International Advanced Studies.

Merkel’s visit to the White House – the first by a European leader since Biden took office in January – shows that the United States is trying to compensate with an ally who has been frequently attacked by Trump over the years.

“Inviting him to come is symbolically important, but it’s also an opportunity to get the relationship back on track, and that’s clear,” Emerson said.

German transatlantic coordinator Peter Beyer said the Germans were aware that there was only a limited amount of time to move forward, seeing the risk of weakening after the Biden 2022 congressional elections.

Merkel can advise Biden on what to expect in the next German government, said Jackson Janes, a senior member of the German Marshall Fund in the United States.

“I think it makes sense to say,‘ Thank you for the memories, ’and maybe a little more for what (Biden) should think about while dealing with the next administration in Berlin,” Merkel said of the likely message. on his journey.