German chancellor Angela Merkel has welcomed US president Barack Obama with military honours ahead of their bilateral talks.

Ms Merkel received Mr Obama at Herrenhausen Palace, a rebuilt version of the 17th-century summer home of the royal house of Hannover.

The palace was destroyed during the Second World War and reopened in 2013.

Mrs Merkel and Mr Obama were due to meet for an hour before holding a joint news conference.

Following the news conference, they will together open the city's annual industrial fair, at which the United States is the featured country this year.

The Hannover Messe is the world's largest industrial technology trade fair.

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