Barack Obama reached out on Thursday to Europe to join the US in solving global problems of terrorism, poverty and climate change but said that European countries must “take on more responsibility” in making it an equal partnership.

Welcomed to Berlin by 200,000 people in a fashion more suited to a pop star than a foreign politician, the US Democratic presidential candidate said joint work between the US and Europe was needed to end the nuclear stand-off with Iran, end the Taliban treat in Afghanistan, resolve the Middle East crisis and disarm the world of nuclear weapons.