Merkel and Obama Work to Mend Ties at G-7 Summit

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel chats with President Barack Obama outside the Elmau Castle after a working session of the G7 summit near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, southern Germany.MICHAEL KAPPELER / AFP - Getty Images
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Ties between the Cold War allies have been strained in the last couple of years by disputes over spying but G-7 summit host and German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared to put that behind her on welcoming U.S. President Barack Obama.

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The two world leaders shared conversations and photo ops in the Bavarian Alps sitting side-by-side dining on pretzels, taking in concerts and strolling through the countryside.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Barack Obama sit with (clockwise), French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper prior to the third working session of the G-7 summit on June 8.Michael Kappeler / Pool via AP
Barack Obama and Angela Merkel attend a concert at the hotel castle Elmau in Kruen, Germany, June 7.Karl-Josef Hildenbrand / Pool via Reuters
Angela Merkel with her husband Joachim Sauer and Barack Obama have a traditional Bavarian breakfast outside, in Kruen, Germany, June 7.Bundesregierung via EPA
Barack Obama and Angela Merkel stroll outside at the summit of G-7 nations at Schloss Elmau on June 7.Sean Gallup / Pool via Getty Images

Leaders of the world's major industrial democracies resolved on Monday to wean their energy-hungry economies off carbon fuels, marking a major step in the battle against global warming that raises the chances of a U.N. climate deal later this year. The Group of Seven's energy pledge capped a successful summit for Merkel.

—Reuters