German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit the United States next month, a government statement said on Tuesday.

Merkel will meet U.S. President George W. Bush and other senior officials in Washington during her visit during Jan. 12-14.

German-US relationship has been sour in recent years as the two had disputes over a wide range of international and regional issues, particularly the Iraq War.

Merkel's predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, strongly opposed the US-led war on Iraq and refused to send any soldier to join the US-British operations in Iraq in 2003.

Merkel has vowed to improve the trans-Atlantic relationship, while the new government promised to maintain the continuity of foreign policies.

The new chancellor is expected to reiterate Germany's stance during her visit to Washington that no troop will be sent to Iraq.

Source: Xinhua