Hollande urges US to explain on spying

PARIS - French President Francois Hollande on Monday called on Washington to offer Paris and its European allies guarantees on the spying issue before continuing free trade negotiations.

"We can not accept this kind of behavior between partners and friends...We know there are systems that need to be monitored, notably in the battle against terrorism, but I don't think this risk exists within our embassies or the European Union," Hollande said.

"All the elements have been gathered to demand all the explanations. We want this to stop fast," he stated.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius was meeting US ambassador in Paris for more clarification on the issue that prompted outrage across the European bloc, the president added.

In a move to ease tensions, US President Barack Obama on Monday promised to provide its European allies with the entire requested information on the spying allegations.

On Saturday, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported on its website that the US National Security Agency had tapped EU offices and gained access to EU internal computer networks. The magazine said its report was based on confidential documents.