WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The reports of Washington allegedly threatening to skip the G7 summit in Bavaria over a possible revelation of US surveillance targets to German parliament are false, US National Security Council Spokesperson Ned Price told Sputnik on Tuesday.
"To be clear, we have not threatened — nor even contemplated — withdrawing from the Summit over intelligence-related matters. Any suggestion otherwise is completely false."
Price stressed that Washington remained in touch with the chancellery regarding the ongoing German parliamentary inquiry, but this issue was "ultimately an internal German matter."
"The President looks forward to meeting with Chancellor Merkel next month at the G-7 to discuss pressing global challenges. Indeed, we work closely with Germany on all matters of international concern, and the Germans are indispensable partners," the spokesperson concluded.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Socialist coalition partners regard NSA snooping on EU targets as a violation of EU and German laws.
The Socialist Democrat (SPD) Secretary General Yasmin Fahimi told Bild on Tuesday they had given the chancellery until June 8 to disclose the lists of so-called selectors — email addresses and phone numbers — that the NSA passed on to its German colleagues in Bavaria.
SPD chief Sigmar Gabriel said this was not an ultimatum, but added that he expected Merkel to comply.
The NSA could limit cooperation with Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) in warning of possible terrorist attacks if its spying targets are dragged into the light, the tabloid reported citing German security sources.
