Hollande urges unity

French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday pointed to the necessity to forge a common European position to address US spying allegations.

Hollande said, "It is necessary for Europe to have a coordinated, common position against the requirements that we have to make, the explanations we have to ask."

On Monday, the French head of state said Paris and the European Union would need guarantees on the spying issue before going ahead with talks and transactions with the United States.

Based on reports provided by Edward Snowden, a former US spy agency contractor, German magazine Der Spiegel on Saturday reported on its website that the US National Security Agency had tapped EU offices and gained access to EU internal computer networks.

Xinhua

(China Daily 07/03/2013 page12)