President Barack Obama was not told in 2010 that German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone was being monitored, the US National Security Agency said on Sunday, denying an earlier German media report.

German weekly Bild am Sonntag reported that General Keith Alexander, chief of the US electronic surveillance agency, notified Obama of the phone monitoring three years ago.

But NSA spokeswoman Vanee Vines said that Alexander “did not discuss with President Obama in 2010 an alleged foreign intelligence operation involving German Chancellor Merkel, nor has he ever discussed alleged operations involving Chancellor Merkel. News reports claiming otherwise are not true.” The incident followed a report by German magazine Der Spiegel that Merkel’s private mobile phone was monitored from 2002, and that Obama had been informed after he took office and did not halt the practice.

Reports first broke last week that the NSA had monitored her communications, prompting German authorities to summon the US ambassador in Berlin.

The United States has denied ongoing surveillance and said it would not listen in on Merkel in the future, but did not directly deny past monitoring.

German and US intelligence officials were expected to meet in coming weeks in Washington to discuss the allegations.

Spiegel reported that NSA has operated highly advanced electronic spying centres in 80 locations around the world, with 19 in Europe including Berlin and other major capitals.

Merkel and Obama spoke last week by telephone on the issue.

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