Kunjungan Merkel di AS, kunjungan ketiganya sejak ia memangku jabatan hampir 14 bulan lalu, dilakukan setelah Jerman memangku jabatan bergilir enam-bulan Presiden UE dan kepemimpin G-8 selama satu tahun.
Merkel's US visit, her third since taking office nearly 14 months ago, came after Germany assumed the six-month presidency of the European Union and the year-long leadership of the Group of Eight industrialized countries.