Obama spokesman Eric Schultz confirmed the former president's plans to join Merkel for 'a moderated conversation on the importance of democracy and taking on responsibility locally and globally'.
Former US Barack Obama (left) formed a close working relationship with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during his tenure. It is unclear if Merkel, who the media has called the new leader of the free world since Trump assumed office, will attend the summit.
The Obama Foundation is co-sponsoring the discussion and the joint appearance may be an attempt to bolster her chances of re-election.
The president was referring to the 2013 scandal when the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel published a report claiming Obama authorized American intelligence to tap Merkel's phone after he was briefed by then-NSA director Keith Alexander in 2010. But Trump routinely criticized the German leader throughout the presidential campaign, saying she had "ruined" Germany with pro-refugee policies and an internationalist worldview.
Twitter users mock United over overbooked flight incident
The Chicago Department of Aviation says one of the three officers involved in the chaotic scenes has since been placed on leave . Regardless, industry observers said they were surprised the situation unfolded the way it did for United.
U.S. President Donald Trump once called the military alliance "obsolete" and threatened to "moderate" its commitment if North Atlantic Treaty Organisation partners fail to pay their share. Germany and the US have also expressed differences over global free trade agreements since Trump became president.
Social Democrat Martin Schulz will ignore US demands for Germany to spend 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense if he's named chancellor in Germany's general election in September.
Obama has not kept quiet about his successor as some past presidents have done.
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