Obama to visit Middle East and Europe

US President Barack Obama will travel next month to Egypt to deliver a major address on relations with the Muslim world, the White House said Friday.

The June 4 stop in Egypt comes ahead of Obama's visit to Germany and France for commemorations of the 65th anniversary of the allied "D-Day" invasion.

The following day, Obama will visit Dresden - the eastern German city heavily bombed in the war - and the Buchenwald concentration camp. Obama's great uncle participated in the liberation of Buchenwald on April 5, 1945.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to meet Obama in the east German city of Dresden, government sources told German Press Agency dpa.

Obama will then travel on June 6 to Normandy, where allied ships landed 65 years ago in an effort to retake France from then-Nazi Germany.

First trip to Middle East

The Egypt speech marks Obama's latest effort to repair relations with Muslim nations, which became frayed under former president George W Bush. Obama last month addressed the Turkish Parliament during his first trip in office to Europe, and gave his first media interview as president to the Arab television network al-Arabiya.

The Egypt stop will be Obama's first trip to the Middle East as president. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that Egypt was chosen because it "in many ways represents the heart of the Arab world."

"I think it will be a terrific opportunity for the president to address and discuss our relationship with the Muslim world," Gibbs said.