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		</div><p>Barack Obama received a rock star welcome in Berlin as he appeared at a public debate with Chancellor Angela Merkel, whom he praised as one of his &#8220;favourite partners&#8221; during his presidency.</p>
<p>Security was tight in front of the German capital&#8217;s iconic Brandenburg Gate, where former US leader Mr Obama and Mrs Merkel appeared on a podium before thousands of people attending a gathering marking the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.</p>
<p>Police helicopters patrolled the skies and snipers with balaclavas watched the scene from nearby rooftops.<br />
After lauding Mrs Merkel as someone who had done &#8220;outstanding work&#8221;, Mr Obama launched a defence of his own presidency and the values of liberal democracy championed by both leaders.</p>
<p>Citing the rise of nationalism and xenophobia in parts of the world, Mr Obama told the crowd that &#8220;we have to push back against those trends that would violate human rights or suppress democracy or restrict individual freedoms&#8221;.</p>
<p>In a veiled reference to his successor Donald Trump, Mr Obama also spoke of the need to see development aid and diplomacy as essential aspects of national security policy. &#8220;We can&#8217;t isolate ourselves. We can&#8217;t hide behind a wall,&#8221; he said, to cheers from the audience.</p>
<p>Mrs Merkel, who hosted Mr Obama at the same spot four years ago, was due to travel to Brussels later for a meeting with leaders of fellow Nato member states, including Mr Trump. The appearance with Mr Obama was criticised by some German opposition politicians as a publicity stunt ahead of September&#8217;s general election, in which Mrs Merkel aims to win a fourth term.</p>
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