"Our decision to ask the current representative of the US intelligence services to leave Germany is the right decision, a necessary step and a fitting reaction to the break of trust which has occurred," Steinmeier was quoted by Reuters as saying.
"Taking action was unavoidable, in my opinion. We need and expect a relationship based on trust."
He added a strong transatlantic partnership was especially important now given international crises. He would tell US Secretary of State John Kerry in Vienna on the weekend that Germany was eager to revive that partnership on the basis of mutual trust.