Obama apologizes to Japan for espionage

US President Barack Obama apologized to Japan today following information from WikiLeaks according to which Washington spied on Japanese politicians, said a spokesman for the Japanese government, reports the Patria News Agency.

Barack Obama spoke by phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this morning, said government spokesman Yoshihide Suga.

"President Obama said he was very sorry because this affair caused a great debate in Japan," Suga told a daily press meeting, without confirming the espionage allegations.

"Prime Minister Abe told Obama that if the mentioned individuals were targets of such activities, it could compromise the trust relationship between allies," Suga continued, adding that Abe expressed "serious concern" about the affair.

In a previous phone call with US Vice President Joe Biden, Shinzo Abe expressed the same concern. The Japanese government had already assessed at the beginning of August that, if espionage is confirmed, it is "deeply regrettable," which was generally considered very mild compared to the anger expressed by France and Germany following similar accusations.

The website specializing in the publication of confidential documents, WikiLeaks, reported on July 31 that the US spied on high-ranking officials of the Japanese government and Japanese companies, as well as the governor of the central bank, writes Index.