BERLIN (AP) — Germany's foreign minister welcomes an agreement to open talks to tear down trade barriers between the United States and the European Union, which he says show that "the answer to America First can only be: Europe United."

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Thursday "America and Europe are not enemies ... We are partners and allies with common values and interests."

U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders pulled back from the brink of a trade war over autos Wednesday.

Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the U.S. and the EU have agreed to hold off on new tariffs, suggesting that the United States will suspend plans to start taxing European auto imports — a move that would have marked a major escalation in trade tensions between the allies.