U.S. says relationship with Germany remains strong despite spy reports

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States' relationship with Germany remains deep and strong, the State Department said on Thursday after the U.S. ambassador met in Berlin with a top German official to discuss the latest revelations about NSA spying. "Our desire is not to have any strain on the relationship," State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a news briefing. He would not disclose details of the American ambassador's meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff. In the latest twist in a scandal over U.S. spying in Germany, media reported the National Security Agency bugged several senior government members in addition to Merkel, including the economy and finance ministers. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Bill Trott)