BERLIN (AA)- Germany's parliament will hold a special session on November 18 and the deputies will discuss the scandal over NSA surveillance of Merkel’s mobile phone, parliamentary sources told press on Monday.
The session was agreed between the representatives of the two major parliamentary groups, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance and the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
According to the agreement between Volker Kauder, parliamentary group chief of the CDU/CSU and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, parliamentary group leader of the SPD, the special session of the parliament on November 18 will focus on two issues. The first topic on the agenda will be the alleged secret surveillance of Chancellor Merkel's mobile phone by the US secret service National Security Agency (NSA). The second topic of the special session will be the outcome of the recent EU summit and the European Partnership.
Germany’s opposition parties earlier demanded a special parliamentary session only focusing on the NSA scandal.
The Vice President of German parliament Petra Pau has called on the German government on Monday to share all their findings on the NSA scandal with the Parliament.
Calls for an inquiry committee
The small opposition Left Party and the Greens are also demanding forming a special inquiry committee at the Parliament to look into the allegations. SPD, the possible coalition partner of Merkel’s conservatives also expressed support on Monday for an inquiry committee on the NSA activities targeting Germany.
Reports of secret US surveillance targeting Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone have sparked uproar among German politicians. The opposition parties are calling for the suspension of free trade talks between the EU and the US.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle summoned the US ambassador last week and demanded a comprehensive investigation and an immediate stop to such operations.
A high level German delegation is set to visit Washington soon to discuss the controversial secret NSA surveillance in Germany.
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