After departing the UK, Obama went on to Hanover, Germany, to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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His comments came a day after tens of thousands of people marched against the U.S. -EU free trade deal through the streets of Hanover, where Obama and Merkel are to open what is billed as the world’s largest industrial technology fair on Sunday night.
President Obama on Sunday began a two-day visit to Germany, where he will focus on trying to make progress on trade talks between the United States and Europe. The president is on a six day trip to strategize with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, England and Germany on a broad range of issues with efforts to rein in the Islamic State group being the common denominator in all three stops. There are also concerns the agreement, which has been conducted behind closed doors, will leave the way open for US companies to effectively privatize public services in Europe. Her decision to allow the resettlement in her country of thousands fleeing violence in Syria and other Mideast conflict zones created an angry domestic backlash.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel “is on the right side of history” in her stance on admitting refugees into Germany, U.S. President Barack Obama said Sunday. “Then TTIP will fail”.
But it’s not certain that the next president would pick up where Obama leaves off on trade. In November, more than 100,000 protested the deal in Berlin.
He told business leaders gathered for the opening ceremony that when it comes to passing the trans-Atlantic deal, “time is not on our side”. Critics fear the erosion of consumer protections and environmental standards.
Negotiators want to finalize key parts of the deal before the year ends.
Obama pitched in on the side of Prime Minister David Cameron, arguing that Britain would be lose influence and trade opportunities if citizens vote to leave the European Union in a June referendum.
U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday it would be very hard to see how a so-called safe zone would work in Syria without a large military commitment.
“When we’re in the heat of campaigns, people naturally are going to worry more about what’s lost than what’s gained with respect to trade agreements”, he said.
In London on Saturday, Obama acknowledged the tough work that is needed to complete the negotiations with Europe.
He said that “the U.K. would not be able to negotiate something with the United States faster than the European Union”.
He said trade negotiations are tough because each country fights for its own interests.
“It is indisputable that it has made our economy stronger”, he said.
Obama has worked with Merkel throughout his two terms, in good times and bad, and he wanted to show political solidarity with her, particularly on the migrant issue.
Merkel and top European officials traveled near the Turkish border on Saturday to promote the EU-Turkey migrant deal.
Obama looking to project a united front with a leader he referred to as his “trusted partner” while she called him “Dear Barack” said he did support using the peace talks to ultimately create safe areas controlled by the moderate opposition, and on that “there’s no space between us”.
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President Barack Obama waves as he boards Air Force One at Stansted Airport, England, Sunday April 24, 2016. Obama led a delegation of business leaders to the trade show and later joined chief executives for a dinner.
