Berlin: German politicians on Friday called on the US to stop all spying activities against Germany and to work together to revive bilateral ties on the basis of honesty.
The latest German plea follows Thursday`s expulsion of the US intelligence chief in Berlin, Xinhua reported.
German Justice Minister Heiko Maas told the Passauer Neue Presse on Friday that the US should disclose all its espionage activities in Germany and stop all related practices immediately.
"The Americans must now actively help clarify the allegations," Maas said. "This includes a clear statement on any other cases of espionage which we may not know about yet. Above all, we need a binding assurance from Washington that these activities will be stopped once and for all."
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Friday he would discuss the transatlantic spy row with US Secretary of State John Kerry when both will attend the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna this weekend.
Steinmeier said Germany`s expulsion of the US intelligence chief was an "unavoidable consequence after the breach of trust", adding that German-American cooperation must be built "on trust but also on mutual respect".
He noted the partnership and friendship between the two countries should be "revitalised on the basis of honesty".
"This will be the message I will deliver to my American colleague John Kerry when we meet at the weekend in Vienna," the minister said.
The German government had on Thursday asked the representative of US intelligence agencies to leave Germany after months of frustration at the lack of cooperation by the US to clear up the NSA spying scandal as well as the latest uncovering of two alleged US spies working in German intelligence and the German defence ministry.
Germany`s decision to expel the American diplomat is believed to be "unprecedented" in its bilateral relationship. There are no comments yet from Washington after the expulsion order.
Revelations of US data gathering practices by Edward Snowden, especially allegations about the tapping of German Chancellor Angela Merkel`s mobile phone, have led to explicit criticism in Germany and strained relations between Germany and the US.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest earlier this week told reporters that the US would work with Germany over the latest spy row that has threatened to further damage bilateral ties.
