Obama and Sarkozy meet in Strasbourg ahead of NATO summit (1st Lead)

Apr 3, 2009, 10:19 GMT

Strasbourg, France - US President Barack Obama was given a rock star's welcome on Friday as he arrived at the Palais de Rohan in Strasbourg for talks with his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Responding to cheers and applause from the crowd, a smiling Obama greeted the spectators with handshakes, calls of 'Nice to see you' and 'It's good to be here.' At one point, he even leaned into the crowd to kiss a young woman.

Obama and his wife, Michelle, exchanged kisses with Sarkozy and the French first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, before the four entered the palace where the two leaders met for their first head-to-head discussion since Obama's election to the White House.

The meeting took place at lunchtime, ahead of a NATO summit in Strasbourg and in the German cities of Kehl and Baden-Baden.

Obama and Sarkozy were expected to discuss issues central to the future of the transatlantic alliance, such as its relations with Russia, its strategy in Afghanistan and France's return to NATO's military command structure.

France is to be officially welcomed back as a full NATO member on Saturday, 43 years after Charles de Gaulle pulled the country out of its military command and kicked US bases out of French territory.

Officials say France's return to the NATO fold is likely to have important repercussions for the alliance. A French general is expected to take over one of the two top NATO command posts, the Allied Command Transformation project, which has its headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia.

In addition, France and Italy are to be given joint leadership of a NATO regional command in Lisbon, Portugal, one of three NATO regional commands.

Obama and Sarkozy last met briefly in Paris in the summer of 2008 when Obama, then a presidential candidate, visited several European capitals.

The American president is scheduled to return to France on June 6 to take part in festivities commemorating the anniversary of D-Day, when Allied forces invaded Nazi-controlled France in 1944.