That's understandable.
Nevertheless, she could have said a few sentences in English to create the "sound bite," that necessary piece of video that determines how the American TV news shows will cover the German prime minister.
At any rate, I liked Chancellor Merkel. I was just speculating about how the media will show the German Chancellor in the evening news.
That makes sense. Yeah, she could have said something in English - maybe the "thank you formula". I´m curious how the news will comment it. Here, the news point out that we´ve a good partnership with you again (= the new start was successful). Overseas, your media could tell your fellows that Bush has won a real ally. Now I´m curious how her meeting with Putin will turn out. The relation Putin/Schröder was almost a love affair. Merkel already said she won´t continue it, and called the German-Russian relations a "strategic partnership" while she called our bilateral relations a "friendship".