BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pledging “sensible talks” with the United States over
the countries’ differences on American spying, though she doesn’t expect a quick resolution.
A year of tension between the Western allies over spying and surveillance peaked last week when Berlin
demanded that the top U.S. intelligence official in the country leave in response to two cases of
alleged American spying in Germany.
Merkel said Friday that “trust can only be restored through talks and certain agreements,” on which she
didn’t elaborate. She added: “We will seek such talks, though I can’t make any concrete announcements
now.”
The chancellor said the two countries “will perhaps slowly — I don’t expect quick agreements — move
forward a bit in sensible talks.”