Brandenburg Gate criticised as 'inappropriate' site for Obama speech

Angela Merkel's government has a message for U.S. presidential hopeful Barack Obama: We can work it out. German authorities are confident of resolving a flap over Barack Obama's visit after Merkel signaled unease over a possible Obama speech at Berlin's historic Brandenburg Gate.

While Berlin city officials are delighted with the idea, Merkel has questioned whether it's appropriate to bring a foreign election campaign to a site that symbolizes Germany's Cold War division and later reunification.
City officials say they have been contacted by Obama's Democratic campaign staff about the idea.

"There is direct contact" with Obama's campaign about his visit but "details of the program are not yet fixed," Merkel spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said Friday. "We are confident that we will reach a mutual and good solution which does justice to the interests of all involved."

The Brandenburg Gate, which once stood behind the Berlin Wall, was the backdrop for a 1987 speech in which President Ronald Reagan urged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall." The monument is also not far from the newly opened U.S. Embassy.

The Obama campaign has refused to provide specifics on his European trip. On Wednesday, Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the candidate had considered several sites for a possible speech and would "choose one that makes most sense for him and his German hosts."

Not all German politicians agree with Merkel's stance. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was quoted by the Frankfurter Rundschau daily newspaper as saying he hopes the flap does not "create an inaccurate or repellent impression" in the United States.
Berlin: Brandenburg Gate criticised as 'inappropriate' site for Obama speech - Nachrichten English-News - WELT ONLINE

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