BERLIN: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that it was "entirely possible" that US Vice-President Kamala Harris will win November's presidential election, describing her as "competent and experienced".
Following 81-year-old President Joe Biden's stunning decision to exit the race for the White House on Sunday, Harris has emerged as the virtually unchallenged frontrunner for the nomination of their Democratic party.
Scholz told reporters at his annual summer press conference in Berlin that "I think it's entirely possible that Kamala Harris wins the election but it will be American voters who decide".
Scholz said that Harris was "a competent and experienced politician who knows exactly what she's doing."
He said his own exchanges with Harris had been "conversations where she put forward her views authentically" and was not simply "saying something prepared beforehand".
He added that Harris had "clear ideas about the role of her country in the world and the challenges that confront us".
The US presidential race is being keenly watched by Washington's allies in Europe, particularly due to the possibility of victory for the combative and often isolationist Donald Trump.
"What happens there is of the greatest importance for all countries in the world and of course especially for the close allies of the US in Germany and in Europe," Scholz said.
He made clear that the relationship "cannot depend on who the president is", saying it was his job to work with whichever administration was elected.