Obama, Merkel say they're still working on surveillance understanding
The U.S. and German governments remain far from an agreement on the appropriate level of surveillance by the U.S. National Security Agency on German residents, leaders of both countries said Friday.
The two countries still have “differences of opinion to overcome” on the appropriate use of surveillance, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a joint press conference with U.S. President Barack Obama. The two leaders met in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss political unrest in Ukraine and other issues.
The German government in October 20133 said U.S. intelligence agencies may have spied on Merkel’s mobile phone. On Friday, Obama said it “pains” him that the relationship between the two countries has suffered after the revelations. “These are complicated issues, and we’re not perfectly aligned yet, but we share the same values, and we share the same concerns,” Obama said.
