President Barack Obama has spoken with German Chancellor Angela Merkel about cooperation between the United States and Germany.

It’s the first conversation between the two leaders since Germany expelled the CIA station chief in Berlin in response to news that two Germans spied for Washington.

Obama’s deputy national security adviser, Ben Rhodes, says the two leaders also discussed Ukraine and Iran. The White House hasn’t released additional details about the call.

The call comes amid fresh strains in U.S.-German relations stemming from revelations of U.S. spying. The White House has refused to comment on the spying allegations but has stressed the importance of U.S.-German ties amid the escalating dispute.

Last year, revelations that the National Security Agency had eavesdropped on Merkel’s cellphone outraged much of the German public.

(AP)