German chancellor Angela Merkel, making her first trip to Washington since Germany assumed the EU presidency in January, hopes the joint statement will lay the groundwork for a broader deal on combating global warming at a Group of Eight (G8) summit in June. Merkel, who currently also holds the G8 presidency, will host that meeting in the German resort of Heiligendamm.
The statement on energy security, efficiency and climate change is to be presented alongside a broader "Transatlantic Economic Partnership" designed to cut costly non-tariff barriers to trade between the EU and the US.
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