On Saturday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that Europe should continue its talks with the United States next week. Their negotiations were about free-trade treaty. However, Merkel added that Europe should not put behind its concerns regarding the reported secret surveillance of America.
"Bugging is not what friends do. The Cold War is over," Merkel said in Western Germany where she attended a conference for her conservative Christian Democratic Union party.
"The United States are our partners, they are a democratic country. Their laws may be slightly different but a free-trade zone with these partners has been on the agenda for decades," she said. "We must press ahead with this in a determined way, without sweeping the other issue under the carpet."
Merkel was expected to seek after a third term for the forthcoming election in September. She regarded the extensive bugging by the US National Security Agency with EU communications and organizations as a campaign issue.
Edward Snowden, a fugitive and NSA's previous contractor, revealed the said bugging. Some of the opposition officials required that the negotiations about trade treaty be halted. They wanted to a clear explanation about the expose made by Snowden.
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