Obama visits Berlin

BERLIN, Germany (CNN) - Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama arrived in Germany Thursday on the latest leg of an international trip intended to bolster his foreign policy credentials.Obama also plans to visit France and Britain before heading home.

He met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday morning and plans to speak in the afternoon in front of the Victory Column in Berlin's Tiergarten (TEER-gar-tehn) Park.

A small crowd of people cheered and applauded Obama as he stepped out of the car at Merkel's office.

The U.S. senator from Illinois enjoys widespread popularity in Europe, said Robin Oakley, CNN's European political editor.

"After the unpopularity of George W. Bush, the world is waiting to love America again," he said, and many see Obama as someone "who can bring that about."