FILE PHOTO - The flags of Germany and France are seen in front of the the Chancellery, before the meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin, Germany May 15, 2017. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski

BERLIN (Reuters) - Berlin and Paris are in talks on common defense exports licensing procedures, a German government spokesman said on Monday.

German magazine Der Spiegel on Friday reported that Germany and France had signed a defense agreement in January which aims for regulation of arms exports to third countries.

“It’s true that Germany and France are in talks on the question of arms exports,” government spokesman Steffen Seibert told journalists during a regular news conference.

He said Berlin and Paris were in talks to reach a formal agreement on the issue.