Official: U.S., Germany to negotiate ‘no spy’ pact
August 15, 2013
BERLIN — Germany and the United States will begin negotiations this month on an agreement not to spy on one another in wake of the revelations by NSA leaker Edward Snowden about massive electronic surveillance by the National Security Agency, a senior German official said Monday.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff, Ronald Pofalla, told reporters such an agreement would offer a unique opportunity to set standards for the future work of Western intelligence agencies now that the Cold War is over. U.S. Embassy spokesman Peter Claussen said he had no immediate comment about Pofalla’s remarks, which were made following a meeting of a parliamentary committee overseeing intelligence services.