U.S. and Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is visiting the United States and addressed Congress Tuesday, has forged a solid working relationship with President Barack Obama.

She has said that the two leaders enjoy "close cooperation" and that Germany is a "reliable and intensive partner." The German leader helped restore U.S.-German relations during the presidency of George W. Bush, who had clashed with her predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, a critic of the Iraq war.

For the last four years, Forbes magazine has dubbed Chancellor Merkel, a former East German scientist, the world's most powerful woman. In power since 2005, she was recently elected to a four-year term as head of a center-right coalition after leading a left-of-center alliance with the Social Democrats.

The first German leader who was raised under communist rule, Chancellor Merkel has expressed gratitude for America's role in helping Germany become "reunited, a partner in Europe and in the trans-Atlantic community."

Germany and the United States have their differences, certainly, but the relationship between the two countries is strong. Both are working together to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. Germany has contributed about 4,000 troops to the NATO mission in Afghanistan. Chancellor Merkel hopes to have U.S. support for a climate change initiative.

Ms. Merkel, a physicist, entered politics after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. The great changes that occurred in Eastern Europe made democracy possible and opened a new career path for the chancellor, whose prudent leadership has kept her popular at home since 2005.

She has also done her part to strengthen U.S.-German ties.