US President Barack Obama (R-on stage) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel react as their respective anthems are played on the South Lawn of the White House during an official arrival ceremonoy in Washington, DC, on June 7, 2011. Merkel arrived in Washington on June 6, 2011 for talks with Obama with tensions over Libya, Middle East policy and the economy casting a shadow over the visit. Merkel will accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom during her three-day stop in the US capital and enjoy a lavish banquet at the White House joined by her reclusive chemist husband Joachim Sauer and several cabinet members. AFP Photo/Jewel Samad (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)