With outrage growing in France and Germany about the extent of US spying on their citizens and politicians, Foreign Minister George Vella said he has no idea if Malta has also been targeted.

“We do not have any inkling whatsoever that this sort of thing is going on. If it is happening we do not know about it,” he said.

It was reported that Germany’s foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, had summoned the US ambassador to a personal meeting to discuss allegations that American secret services bugged Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone.

A few days earlier, French President François Hollande called the White House to confront Barack Obama with reports that the National Security Agency was targeting the private phone calls and text messages of millions of French citizens.

The revelations were made by former NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden, overshadowing the EU summit that came to an end yesterday.

Dr Vella said the possibility that US could also be targeting Maltese citizens “did not cross our minds before we read about it happening in other countries. We simply don’t know about it”.

Asked if he would be seeking reassurances from the US, he replied: “It would be preposterous to go to the US and say ‘it is being alleged you are doing these things in other countries, are you doing it to us as well?’ Who is the fool that is going to tell you ‘yes’?”

Was he concerned that the private communications of Maltese citizens could be intercepted?

“Concerned in the sense that if anybody is doing something behind your back – whoever it is – it is not nice. Among countries that are supposed to be on friendly terms, this should not happen.”