negotiations in copenhagen and make the best possible use of our time leading up to this. a very warm welcome to you and we are glad that you and the members of your team have taken the trouble to come here. >> thank you very much everybody. it is wonderful to be in the beautiful city of dresden. which is obviously speak in history and as chancellor merkel discussed, has overcome great tragedies, and is now this beautiful city full of hope. i am very grateful to not only chancellor merkel, but to the german people for their hospitality. germany is a close friend and a critical partner to the united states. i believe that friendship is going to be essential not only for our two countries but for the world if we are to make progress on some of the critical

issues we face. whether it is national security issues or economic issues, or issues that affect the global like climate change. chancellor merkel mentioned, and i had a very productive discussion. we continue to work closely together to confront the global economic crisis and restore growth and prosperity for our people. the downturn knows no borders. it will take some time by all of us to move forward. at the g-20 we successfully laid out in the parameters for collective action. we have seen on both sides of the atlantic some progress in stabilizing the economy, but we are far from done in the work that is required. i mentioned it to her that in the united states we are working diligently to

strengthen financial regulations to insure that a crisis like this does not happen again. it will be very important to coordinate between europe and the united states as we move to strengthen our financial regulatory systems. we affirm that we will not engage in protectionism. we have to make sure we will keep our borders open and companies can move back and forth between the united states and european in providing goods and services to our respective countries. i am very pleased to see the resolution of the opel situation here. we are very sympathetic towards each other. it is not easy to help the car

companies restructure and not always popular. but it is the right thing to do. i am hopeful that not only are we going to see these companies to stabilize, but also that they will emerge even stronger and more competitive. chancellor merkel and i discussed security challenges. germany has been a strong nato partner, as all of you now. we had great challenges in afghanistan. and increasingly in pakistan, but our collective commitment to making sure that we are not seeing the kinds of terrorist bases that could pose harm to all of our people. that we maintain that commitment. we also discussed the issue of iran. and not in isolation, but in a

broader context of avoiding a nuclear arms race in the middle east that could be dangerous. i have said publicly i am committed to engaging in serious dialogue and negotiations with iran. that cannot be done in isolation, it has to be done in conjunction with the p5 plus one or the e3 plus 3 process. germany will be a critical partner in that process. later in this summer i will be traveling to russia to discuss how we can reduce u.s. nuclear stockpiles and russian nuclear stockpiles. our concern is not just iran, but a broader effort to strengthen nonproliferation so the threat of nuclear and weapons is greatly reduced in our lifetime. as the chancellor mentioned, we

discussed my recent trip to the middle east and the need for all of us to redouble our efforts to bring about two states, israel and a palestinian state that are living side by side in peace and security. the moment is now for us to act on what we all know to be the truth, which is that each side will have to make some difficult compromises. we have to reject violence. the palestinians have to get serious about creating a security environment that is required for israel to feel confident. israelis will have to take difficult steps. i discussed some of those in a speech. ultimately, the u.s. cannot force peace upon the parties. but what we have tried to do is clear away some of the misunderstandings so that we

can at least begin to have frank dialogue. we are not going to be able to do that by ourselves. it will require strong partners like germany in that process. i know the chancellor is very much committed to that. again, it is a great pleasure to be here. it is a great pleasure to be with my friend, once again, who i always seek out for intelligent analysis and straight talk. i am looking forward to continued partnership between our two countries to deal with the wide range of issues that we confront at this time. thank you very much. >> i believe you have the possibility to ask questions. maybe we ought to start with a german question? mrs. meyer, please.

>> mr. president, did you have the opportunity to also address the issue of guantanamo bay? do you feel supported by germany in accepting prisoners? does this perhaps overshadowed your relationship with the chancellor or perhaps not? there have been some wild speculation over the course of your trip that you left certain venues open until the end, and this had something to do with your relationship with the chancellor. chancellor, did you make an offer or were you able to get certain assurances to the president and accommodate him? >> let me first of all said i think your characterization of wild speculations is accurate. they are very wild. and they are based on no facts. the truth of the matter is that

the relationship not only between our two countries but our two governments is outstanding. most of the speculation around my schedule here in germany does not take into account simple logistics. traveling, trying to get from one place to another, coming off on a middle east trip. there are only 24 hours in the day. there is nothing to get beyond us just trying to fit in what we could do on such a short trip. that is all that there was. so stop it, all of you. [laughter] i know you have to find something to report on, but we have more than enough problems without manufacturing problems. in terms of the issue of guantanamo, this is a difficult

issue. it is difficult in my country. it is difficult internationally. we have a facility that contains some people who are very difficult to deal with. some of them probably should not have been detained in those facilities in the first place. they should have been processed and tried and convicted. if they were not convicted, then they should not have been languishing in a facility like that that became a symbol for many around the world of us not sticking to our ideals and traditions and rule of law. but it was done and that is the past. now we have to move forward.

we have spoken to the european union about the possibilities of working with us and helping us in managing the closure of guantanamo. chancellor merkel has been very open to discussions with us. we have not asked her for hard commitments and she has not given us any hard commitments beyond having a serious discussion about are there ways we can solve this problem? and i don't anticipate that it will be resolved any time in the next two or three months. i think it will be a longer process of evaluation, but i am very appreciative of the openness not only of chancellor merkel and other european countries to work with us, because they recognize we have a shared interest in battling extremists and terrorists.

at the same time, as we have a shared interest in upholding broader principles of international justice. and that those things are compatible, but it will take some time. we will look at individual cases, seeing are there people who can safely be transferred. if they are safely transferred, where will they be transferred to? and this is a conversation we are not just having with germany but the broader european union. i very much appreciate the constructive manner in which the chancellor has approached the issue. >> allow me to say it is fun to talk with the president because it is a very thorough analytical discussions that lead us to draw the same conclusions. i think we have proven that in

london and proven that in previous meetings. that is part of our job, that you exchange different views that he may have. and wherever it was necessary we have come to a common solution. i very much look forward to our future cooperation on guantanamo. germany has always come out in favor for closing down this facility. this has been a longstanding issue. we very purposefully at the time excepted one person who has in relation to germany. we also said that when there is a solution we will constructively contribute to it. there are talks going on with the minister of the interior with the american side. very intense discussions which we wish to continue. i am confident we will find a common solution. i believe a question from the

american side may be. >> should i just pick on somebody? should i pick on somebody? jennifer got the microphone. >> it was handed to me so i will keep it. thank you, mr. president. he challenged on middle east peace. he challenged the parties today and yesterday to take actions, the israelis and palestinians, things that have been asked to do for years. they agreed to do but still today remain even more unwilling or unable to do them. what are your specific next steps to try to break the stalemate? why do you think your approach is realistic? and to the chancellor, you talked about a time line the two of you discuss. can you be more specific about that? >> as i said at the outset of my speech, mr. abe was just one

speech. it does not replace all the hard work that will have to be done. that was done before the speech and will have to be done in the years to come in order to solve what has been a 60-year problem. i am under no illusions that would ever statements i have put forward somehow are going to supplant the need to do that work. i think that what is different now is number one, you are seeing a u.s. administration and an american president engaged this issue almost on the day that i took office. we have only been in office five months. and yet we have seen extraordinary activity already on this issue.

and that has sent a signal to all parties in the middle east that we are serious. i have assigned george mitchell, my special envoy who has met repeatedly with all players in the region, and who will be going back next week in the wake of my appearance in cairo to follow up with each of the individual parties on a whole host of negotiation points. and potential confidence- building measures that can be taken. i have already met with prime minister it netanyahu. our governments are in close contact about how we can move forward on some of the items that might be inhibiting restarting talks. i have had abbas in the white house to do the same.

you have probably seen more sustained activity on this issue in the first five months than you would have seen in most previous administrations. the reason we are doing that is because not only had talks ground to a halt, but there was a sense that all sides were getting so dug in and so cynical that you might reach a point where you could never get the parties back at the table. i think given what we have done so far, we have at least created the space, the atmosphere, in which talks can restart. now, i just have to say one more time the united states cannot solve this problem.

the united states can be a partner in solving the problem, but ultimately the parties involved will have to make a decision that the prosperity and security of their people is best served by negotiations and compromise. we cannot force them to make this difficult decisions. what we can do is to provide them a framework and a forum and the support for such an outcome to be achieved. i am sure one of the things i am appreciating is chancellor merkel's willingness to put the prestige and resources of the german government behind that same effort. i think the entire international community will have a responsibility to help these parties achieve a hard one- piece that will ultimately be

good for everybody's security interests. >> i believe that with the new american administration, with president obama, there is actually a unique opportunity now to see to it that this peace process, or let's be more careful, this negotiation process to be revived again. yesterday's speech opened up also the door to the arab world again. in a way that it was described now, you have sort of made steps along the way. when steps are made along the way, then we feel as germans we can be had for it to accompany this for historical reasons. we have a very special relationship with israel. we have a great interest in the safety and security of israel. but we also have a very fervent -- we also have the palestinian

state being built. this agenda it needs to be worked on a step-by-step, but it is true the parties need to show a willingness to do sell. the peace and security of the world as a whole, this is a core issue. this is one we all have a wish and willingness to bring this matter forward. the historical opportunity is there, even though looking at many countries in the arab world, even looking at many countries in the arab world. they have an interest in progress because for their economic development as well. we should have every interest in seeing peace been brought about and we will give our contribution to it. >> you will later on a visit the former concentration camp. tell me now already if

possible, what is your personal motivation? what drives you to this? we were told here in germany that because [unintelligible] because he told you about his time in the camp where he suffered great hardships. and that this made you do it. madam chancellor, germany is putting concrete targets on the agenda. will america in the post-kyoto process be willing to commit itself to concrete reduction targets or are you pursuing a different kind of approach similar to your predecessor in office? >> first of all, one of the main reasons for me being in europe this week is to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the landing in normandy.

and this is a moment that obviously is of great importance to the united states. so many lives were lost during this time. it marks the beginning of the end of world war ii. and many of the veterans of world war ii are in the sunset of their years. so having an opportunity to acknowledge them once again and the sacrifices they made was very important to me. as part of that trip we thought it was very important for me to visit the concentration camp. first of all, i had never traveled to one of the concentration camps, but this

one has a personal connection to me. it is not only that i know elie wiesel, and my grandfather's brother was part of the units that first liberated that camp. i have talked about this before in the united states, perhaps not in germany. the shock for this very young man who could not have been more than 19 or 20 at the time was such that he ended up when he returned having a very difficult time readjusting to civilian life.

and it was a memory that burned in him for quite some time. and that was something that i learned about as a young person. and for me to be able to come and reflect on this very difficult history, and to not only reflect on the dangers of when people's are in conflict and not acknowledging a common humanity, but also to celebrate how out of that tragedy you now have a unified europe, a germany that is a very close ally of israel, and the possibilities of reconciliation

and forgiveness and hope. all those things i think are part of why this visit is very important to me. in terms of climate change, ultimately the world is going to need targets that it can meet. it cannot be general or vague approaches. we will have to take concrete actions if we are going to deal with a potential cataclysmic disaster. and we are seeing progress in congress around energy legislation that was set up for the first time in the united states a cap and trade system. that process is moving forward

in ways that i think if you have asked political experts two or three months ago would have seemed impossible. i am actually more optimistic than i was about america being able to take leadership on this issue. joining europe, which over the last several years has been ahead of us over this issue. as i told chancellor merkel, unless the united states and europe with our large carbon footprints, are willing to take some decisive steps it will be very difficult for us to persuade countries on a per- capita basis are still much less wealthy, like china or india, to take the steps that they will need to take in controlling carbon emissions. so we are very committed to working together and hopeful that we can arrive in copenhagen having displayed that

commitment in concrete ways. >> allow me to say as to the visit to the concentration camp that this is deeply moving for me to see an american president, in this case president barack obama , as a visitor. he talked about his personal background as regards to the question. look at a concentration camp. it is one example of these horrible camps liberated by american troops. later on it was turned during the soviet period again. at the time when germany was divided. it again became symbolic. people in that part of the country and not able to enjoy freedom. now we go there after germany

has been reunited, after europe has been reunited. now that we also enjoy freedom and democracy as the united states, that is very moving. it shows you that history makes things possible if sufficient number of people believe in the dream of freedom. >> thank you. the couple of questions. what are some of the gestures of good faith you would like to see from israelis and palestinians? and regarding your visit to the camp. since the holocaust, a constant phrase in the united states is never again. many presidents have let genocides happen over and over. whether cambodia or rwanda. what does never again mean to you as a u.s. president, especially given the fact that genocide is going on right now in our four. there are accusations of going on right now in darfur and in

sri lanka. does germany have an extra obligation to take action to prevent genocide in other parts of the world? >> with respect to the confidence-building measures or next steps, again, i will be bringing george mitchell back into the region. he will meet with the parties involved. i think i have said publicly and repeated in the speech some things that are going to have to be done. a lot of the tension has been given to my statement that the israelis need to stop settlement construction. i recognize that it has received a lot of attention in israel as well. keep in mind that all i have

done there is reaffirming commitments that the israelis themselves have already made. i recognize the very difficult politics within israel of getting that done. i am very sympathetic to how hard it will be, but as israel's friend the united states has an obligation to just be honest with that friend about how important it is to achieve a two-state solution for israel's national security interests as well as ours and the palestinian's. that is an area where steps can be taken. they're not the only steps that israel can take and will need to take in order to advance