GERMAN ECONOMY MINISTER VISITS U.S. AHEAD OF MERKEL

German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier greeted the revival of transatlantic relations during his Washington visit, six months into the new administration, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

"The sun is shining again on German-American relations," Altmaier said, referring to past disagreements between Berlin and the administration of former President Donald Trump.

Altmaier's talks come weeks before German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to visit, in what is to be one of her last foreign trips before she steps down after 16 years in power. He addressed some topics where Berlin and Washington may differ, ahead of her visit.

Altmaier met Biden's climate envoy John Kerry to discuss doing more to combat climate change, one of many areas where Germany and other European nations seek closer cooperation with the US.

Of climate protection efforts, Almaier said, "We agreed that we want to do this in such a way that it does not damage the economy and industrial capabilities and yet accelerates and advances the transition to CO2-free, sustainable energy."

He touched on the pace of efforts to counter climate change and called for coordination, for example on steel that is produced in an environmentally friendly way.

There are concerns in the EU that if such efforts are not coordinated, this could lead to competition distortions.

Trade policy is a further area where issues remain unresolved, such as steel and aluminum tariffs, and Altmaier was also due to meet US trade envoy Katherine Tai on Thursday.

WEEKLY FEATURE : PAL READY TO SOAR WITH PANDEMIC