Mr. Obama goes to Europe
Europe to be Obama's first overseas trip
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama will make his first overseas trip since taking office at the end of this month, visiting England, France, Germany and the Czech Republic, the White House said Thursday.
President Obama wil travel with first lady Michelle Obama to four European nations in the coming weeks.
President Obama wil travel with first lady Michelle Obama to four European nations in the coming weeks.
The trip is scheduled from March 31-April 5.
Obama, who will be joined by first lady Michelle Obama, will first visit London, where he will attend a summit with other world leaders.
He is to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on April 3.
Obama will also attend NATO summit meetings in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, then travel to Prague, Czech Republic, to meet with Czech leaders and leaders of other European Union nations.
His first trip outside the United States was to Canada last month.
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Obama to meet Queen in London
Barack Obama is to meet the Queen when he comes to Britain for a three-day visit next month.
By Andrew Porter, Political Editor
Last Updated: 10:25PM GMT 05 Mar 2009
The red carpet will be rolled out at Buckingham Palace for the United States President for the first meeting between the two heads of state, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.
It is being described in Washington and London as a "getting to know you" session.
Officials on both side of the Atlantic are finalising plans for the President's visit which will attract global media interest
It is expected that Air Force One, carrying the President and First Lady, and its accompanying aircraft will land at Stansted Airport, in Essex, on March 31. That will defuse a row over Heathrow potentially being plunged into chaos by the arrival of 18 other world leaders in London for the G20 meeting on April 2.
The President and his wife Michelle will then be flown in Marine One, the presidential helicopter, to Winfield House, the residence of the American ambassador to London, in Regent's Park.
The following day, April 1, will see Mr Obama travel the short distance to Buckingham Palace. It is unusual for a United States President to meet the Queen outside a state visit.
Reflecting the slightly less flown-blown nature of the meeting, it was described by one official in Washington as "an informal, formal meeting."
A source said: "There is a wish to do these things as discreetly when they meet for the first time."
Since becoming Queen in 1952 she has met every US leader apart from Lyndon Johnson. Once she meets Mr Obama she will have met 12 Presidents who have served during her reign.
That evening Mr Obama will join the other world leaders and their wives for an official dinner at Downing Street, hosted by Gordon and Sarah Brown.
The next morning the leaders of the G20 will gather at the ExCel exhibition centre in Docklands, East London. Some will be disappointed that a grander and auspicious venue is being used for what the Prime Minister believes is the most crucial economic summit for decades.
However, security concerns and need to house such a large number of people was the central consideration.
After the one day meeting the President will fly to Strasbourg for a meeting of Nato leaders.
This week Mr Brown met Mr Obama in the Oval Office of the White House. A planned press conference was switched to a more informal press briefing in the Oval Office. That led to some suggestions that there had been little interest in the White House in making a big deal of Mr Brown's visit.
Perhaps conscious that some had reported that Mr Obama had been only businesslike and not fully engaged with Mr Brown, the President telephoned him as he Brown from Washington and congratulated him on his visit. He gave Mr Brown a present of the top 25 classic American movies.
The Prime Minister was the first European leader to see the new President in Washington.
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It must be the case of the "First insert-activity-here" with Obama as president, 'cause this is making me more giddy than it should!
It's like, I just feel like showing off our President and First Lady and say "Hey there, world! Look at our gorgeous and awesome first couple and be just a little bit envious XD"