Presidential candidate Barack Obama is set to travel to Berlin on Thursday to deliver a public speech on transatlantic ties during his week-long foreign tour. The outdoor address is expected to attract a large crowd, with Obama being very popular in Germany, often compared to former President John F. Kennedy. Despite initial opposition from Chancellor Angela Merkel to speak at the Brandenburg Gate, Obama will instead speak at the "Victory Column" in Berlin's central Tiergarten park, near the Gate. He aims for his speech to emphasize the importance of the relationship between the United States and Europe and to highlight the need for building on that relationship. Under Merkel's predecessor Gerhard Schroeder, relations between the United States and Germany deteriorated significantly after he strongly opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. Despite growing up in East Germany behind the Wall, Merkel, a conservative, has made efforts to mend the relationship and has become one of President George W. Bush's closest allies in Europe. Ahead of Obama's visit, Merkel anticipated discussing NATO cooperation, climate change, and trade issues with the Illinois senator during a scheduled morning meeting at the Chancellery, which German officials predict will last around an hour. The two leaders are also expected to touch on topics related to Afghanistan and Iraq, the initial stops on Obama's tour of the Middle East and Europe. In Kabul, Obama expressed his concern over the delicate and pressing situation in Afghanistan. Both Angela Merkel and John McCain have expressed the opinion that Europe needs to increase its efforts in a certain area, but Merkel stated that there are limits to what Germany can do. Merkel's views on President Obama's visit to Germany have been widely covered in the news, with disagreements arising between her and her foreign minister over the appropriateness of a speech at the Brandenburg Gate. Merkel believes that the landmark should be reserved for presidents, not candidates, and suggested that the speech be held at a more low-key location. Obama, when asked if he had studied the Cold War speeches of Reagan and Kennedy before his visit, stated that he is just a citizen, unlike the two former presidents. He stated that Berlin is a clear example of the successful efforts made after the war to unite the continent and the West. Approximately 700 police officers will be on duty during the visit, and barriers have been set up around the "Siegessaeule" since Monday. Crowd estimates for the event range from 10,000 to nearly a million. The full 45-minute speech, scheduled for 7 p.m. (1700 GMT), will be broadcast live by German public television station ARD. According to a Pew Research Center poll, Germans preferred Obama over McCain by a 49 point margin. The influential magazine Der Spiegel focused its weekend edition on the visit, featuring a photo of Obama on the front cover with the headline "Germany meets the Superstar".