Presidential candidate Barack Obama is set to travel to Berlin to deliver a public speech on transatlantic ties, which is expected to attract a large crowd. Despite initial opposition from Chancellor Angela Merkel, Obama will give his speech at the "Victory Column" in Tiergarten park, near the Brandenburg Gate. Obama hopes his speech will emphasize the importance of the relationship between the United States and Europe and how it can be strengthened. The relationship between the United States and Germany was strained during Merkel's predecessor Gerhard Schroeder's time in office due to his strong opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. However, Merkel, a conservative leader who grew up in communist East Germany, has worked diligently to mend relations and has become one of President George W. Bush's closest allies in Europe. She anticipated discussing NATO cooperation, climate change, and trade issues with Senator Obama during a meeting at the Chancellery. The meeting, expected to last about an hour, is also likely to cover Afghanistan and Iraq, where Obama began his tour of the Middle East and Europe. In Kabul, Obama described the situation in Afghanistan as precarious and urgent. Both Barack Obama and his Republican opponent John McCain have emphasized the importance of Europe increasing its efforts in Afghanistan. However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that she would inform Obama that there were limitations to what Germany could contribute. The upcoming visit of Obama to Germany has been heavily covered in the media, leading to disagreements between Merkel and her foreign minister over the appropriateness of a speech at the Brandenburg Gate. Merkel believes that the landmark is reserved for presidents, not presidential candidates, and suggested alternative locations for the speech. When asked if he had studied the Cold War speeches given by Reagan and Kennedy in Berlin, Obama remarked that he was simply a citizen, unlike the two former presidents. He stated that Berlin is a clear example of the successful efforts made post-war to unite the continent and the West. Approximately 700 police officers will be present for the visit, and barriers have been put up around the "Siegessaeule" since Monday. Estimates for the crowd size range from 10,000 to nearly a million. The German public television station ARD will air the entire 45-minute speech live at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT). According to a Pew Research Center poll, Germans preferred Obama over McCain by a 49 point margin. The popular weekly magazine Der Spiegel focused its weekend edition on the visit, featuring a cover photo of Obama with the headline "Germany meets the Superstar".