US and Germany hold restorative talks after series of spy scandals

The White House moved closer to a rapprochement with Germany after a series of spy scandals prompted Barack Obama to dispatch some of his most senior officials to Berlin.

In an unusual step, the US president sent his chief of staff, Denis McDonough, and a senior counter-terrorism advisor to Germany to lay the foundations of a new, intelligence-sharing understanding between the two countries.

Following the meeting on the 22 July 2014, both sides confirmed they had agreed to a formal dialogue which would lead, eventually, to a set of “guiding principles” over the relationship between its respective spy agencies. It was expected to be completed after the summer.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: German intelligence employee arrested on suspicion of spying for US on Bundestag NSA committee http://www.europeansources.info/record/german-intelligence-employee-arrested-on-suspicion-of-spying-for-us-on-bundestag-nsa-committee/

DGAP: Blog: Berlin Observer, 29.07.14: Merkel and the Moles https://ip-journal.dgap.org/en/blog/berlin-observer/merkel-and-moles

ESO: Background information: Targeting Turkey: How Germany Spies on Its Friends http://www.europeansources.info/record/targeting-turkey-how-germany-spies-on-its-friends/

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