GENEVA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The Swiss Foreign Ministry summoned on Tuesday the German ambassador to protest "unacceptable" remarks by Germany's finance minister over Swiss banking secrecy, the official Swissinfo news website reported.
German Finance Minister Peer Steinbruck had said there were reasons to doubt Swiss promises to fully apply banking transparency standards prescribed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
He singled out conditions set out for sharing customer data, which he said would "maintain banking secrecy in principle."
"In my opinion, these statements are unacceptable, as much for being contemptuous and aggressive, both in substance and in form," Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey was quoted by Swissinfo as saying on Monday.
"I would have expected another reaction from Germany towards a partner like Switzerland, especially from a country that benefits from its relationship with Switzerland. Just think about migration, borders or even the trade balance," she said.
German Ambassador Alex Berg said he had taken note of Switzerland's concerns during the meeting with the Swiss state secretary for foreign affairs, Michael Ambuhl, on Tuesday, Swissinfo reported.
Berg said the pair had a "very open" discussion, during which he had pointed out that Germany was not the only country concerned about the issue of banking secrecy.
The Swiss government announced last week that it would cooperate on cases of international tax evasion, amid pressure by major powers to crack down on so-called tax havens.
It decided to conform with standards set by the OECD in an effort to avoid being put on a blacklist and facing possible sanctions.
The present distinction between fiscal fraud and fiscal evasion is to become obsolete, allowing the exchange of information with other countries in individual cases and based on legal requests.
Britain and France have reportedly welcomed the announcements of Switzerland, as well as Austria and Luxembourg, to ease banking secrecy.
