The following statement has been issued by a spokesperson for the Federal Foreign Office:

“Today Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle had a long telephone conversation with Catherine Ashton against the backdrop of recent media reports on allegations of spying on European Union institutions.

Both agreed that such actions were not acceptable among close partners and friends and that they required a clear and unambiguous response in the form of a common European stance.

Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle assured Ms Ashton that she had the Federal Government’s full support for the talks which the European Union now has to hold with Washington to resolve the issue.”