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President Obama and Japanese prime minister visit Lincoln Memorial before trade discussions

By Thor Benson
President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on April 27, 2015. Prime Minister Abe is in the Nation's Capital to discuss a range of economic, security, and global issues, including progress on the Trans Pacific Partnership, Japan's expanding role in the Alliance, and climate change. Pool Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI
1 of 10 | President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on April 27, 2015. Prime Minister Abe is in the Nation's Capital to discuss a range of economic, security, and global issues, including progress on the Trans Pacific Partnership, Japan's expanding role in the Alliance, and climate change. Pool Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo

WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) -- President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the Lincoln Memorial on Monday.

Abe's visit was set for Tuesday, but he arrived one day early. The president decided to take the prime minister to a local landmark upon his arrival. This April marks 150 years since the end of the Civil War.

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The prime minister will receive a welcoming ceremony early on Tuesday and a state dinner in the evening. Part of the reason he is visiting Washington is to discuss a trade deal called the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is a deal between the United States, Japan and several other major countries.

President Obama has recently received criticism from politicians in his own party, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., for keeping the details of the deal a secret. Those who oppose the deal believe it could harm Internet freedoms, healthcare and the American economy. Some drafts of the deal have been leaked to the public.

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