France tells US snooping must stop but cools dispute

Govert spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem plays down the possibility of any reprisals against the US

France on Tuesday formally told the US to stop snooping on the telephone calls of French citizens but signalled it wanted to cool a row over the issue.

In a breakfast meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius insisted on being given a full explanation of the latest revelations about a controversial US spying programme.

"He (Fabius) repeated our demand for an explanation of spying practices which are unacceptable between partners and which must stop," a spokesman for the minister said after the brief meeting.

Despite the robust tone adopted by the foreign ministry, there were signs that Paris wants to defuse the row created by revelations in Le Monde newspaper that the US National Security Agency had monitored more than 70 million phone communications in France between December 10, 2012 and January 8 this year.

Asked if France was considering any form of reprisals against the United States over the NSA's conduct, government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem played down the possibility.

"It is up to Foreign Minister Fabius to decide what line we take but I don't think there is any need for an escalation (of the situation)," Vallaud-Belkacem told France 2 television.

"We have to have a respectful relationship between partners, between allies. Our confidence in that has been hit but it is after all a very close, individual relationship that we have.