Government 'exaggerated likelihood of no-spy deal'

A German newspaper reported on Wednesday that the German government led by Chancellor Angela Merkel had exaggerated the possibility of a no-spy agreement with the United States in the run-up to Germany's general election in 2013.

According to German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the government told the public about an upcoming no-spy deal despite having no clear promise from the US administration that it was willing to negotiate such a treaty.

A German delegation traveled to Washington on Aug 5, 2013, to discuss a possible agreement between the US National Security Agency and Germany's Foreign Intelligence Service, following revelations by whistle-blower Edward Snowden that the NSA had spied on German citizens.