German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she is looking forward with "curiosity" and "pleasure" to meeting U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on March 17.
"It's always better to talk with each other than about each other," Merkel told the Saarbruecker Zeitung newspaper.
Asked if both sides were curious, Merkel said: "There's definitely curiosity. And also pleasure at meeting each other. At least from my side."
The meeting, which was delayed by a few days because of a big snowstorm in Washington, will be the first between the two leaders since Trump was elected in November.
Merkel said she wanted to speak with Trump about security and economic issues as well as about future international cooperation.
Regarding concerns about a trade war between the United States and Germany, Merkel said: "Our countries benefit when we work together well and fairly."
The United States has repeatedly criticized Germany's large current-account surplus, but Merkel said there was also a lot of direct German investment in the United States.
Carmaker BMW's U.S. plant exports "more cars than GM and Ford together" from the United States, Merkel said.
"I'll make that clear," she added.
