Former German chancellor Angela Merkel made a surprise appearance at the dedication of former US president Barack Obama’s Presidential Center in Chicago on Thursday.
She was joined on stage by other former leaders, including Canada's Justin Trudeau and Italy's Matteo Renzi. Merkel received a standing ovation from the invited guests.
Among others present were former vice president Kamala Harris, former US president Bill Clinton and his wife, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, and former president Joe Biden – all of whom are Democrats. Former Republican president George W Bush also took to the stage later on.
Merkel and Obama are friendship. His 2013 speech at the Brandenburg Gate alongside her is showcased in the museum as a prime example of Obama’s diplomatic efforts.
Their relationship was by no means flawless, however. The US actually tapped one of Merkel’s mobile phones for a while in 2013.
The chancellor reacted with displeasure at the time: "Spying among friends is a no-go," she chided.
The entire campus will officially be open to the public from Friday. Visitors must book tickets for the museum.
The centre's opening coincides with Juneteenth, the June 19th US holiday commemorating the liberation of the African-American population from slavery in 1865.
The center, housed in a striking concrete tower, presents stages in the Democrat's life before and after his rise to become the first black president of the United States, including his arduous health care overhaul and the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
