Americas

Americas

Brazilian FM says U.S. spying case still unresolved

31 January 2014 02:16 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Brazil's top diplomat said Thursday that his meeting with a leading U.S. official over alleged U.S. spying on Brazil failed to resolve the matter, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Foreign Minister Luiz Alberto Figueiredo met Thursday with U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice in Washington, but said later the talks failed to put the matter to rest, Brazilian daily O Globo reported.

The minister said his meeting with Rice did not signify a permanent solution to the tension between the two countries caused by revelations that U.S. intelligence agencies spied on Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff and other officials, the state oil giant, and others.

"A conversation at this level will not lead to an improvement in relations," Figueiredo said, stressing, however, that the dialogue between the two sides will continue.

During the talks, Rice presented her government's defense of its espionage scheme, said Figueiredo, adding those explanations now need to be relayed to Rousseff.

The U.S. did not provide all the clarifications that the Brazilian government required, Figueiredo added.

Washington's rampant spying, which also reportedly targeted German leader Angela Merkel and other world leaders, has rattled Brazil-U.S. relations, and prompted Rousseff to cancel a state visit to Washington D.C. late last year.

Rousseff also denounced the spying before the United Nations General Assembly and has called for regulations to protect individual privacy.