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A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 10 February 2018

Germany's Schulz France seeks closer ties with Russia despite Syria

abandons plan for By ANGELA CHARLTON cron plans to attend the St. to stop "intolerable degra- hailed a potentially prob-
foreign minister PARIS (AP) — Russian Presi- Petersburg Economic Fo- dation of the humanitarian lematic project launched
dent Vladimir Putin and rum and to meet with Putin. situation" in regions of Syria Friday to encourage con-
By GEIR MOULSON French President Emman- The Kremlin said in a state- that were pummeled by tacts among Russian and
BERLIN (AP) — Martin uel Macron discussed co- ment that Putin and Ma- Syrian and Russian airstrikes French citizens. Called the
Schulz, the leader of Ger- operating more closely cron underlined during in recent days, according Trianon Dialogue, the initia-
many's center-left Social to resolve the Syrian crisis their call the need for de- to a statement from his of- tive appears aimed at mini-
Democrats, on Friday in a phone call Friday, as veloping closer coopera- fice. mizing European sanctions
abandoned his plan to be- France tries to smooth ties tion on Syria. The statement The presidents discussed against Russia for its sup-
come the country's foreign with Russia and move be- did not elaborate. another sore point in rela- port of separatists in east-
minister, hoping to prevent yond years of tensions over Macron's office said he tions: the conflict in Ukraine. ern Ukraine. The French-
his party from rejecting a Syria and Ukraine. pushed for more robust Syr- They stressed the need to Russian project is aimed at
coalition deal with Chan- Macron is making his first ian peace talks — notably enforce the 2015 Minsk encouraging interactions
cellor Angela Merkel's con- presidential trip to Russia in after a Russia-sponsored ef- peace agreement that through joint theater pro-
servatives. May. The two leaders talk- fort last month boycotted was sponsored by France ductions, school trips, sister
The Social Democrats are ed Friday about prepara- by the Syrian opposition. and Germany. city agreements and real
putting the agreement tions for the visit, where Ma- Macron also pressed Putin Putin and Macron also estate investments.q
secured Wednesday to a
ballot of their more than
460,000 members. Many of EU warns big differences remain over Brexit
them are skeptical about
extending the four-year By LORNE COOK
"grand coalition" of Ger- BRUSSELS (AP) — The Euro-
many's biggest parties af- pean Union's Brexit nego-
ter a disastrous election tiator said Friday that major
result in September. differences remain over
The Social Democrats are whether Britain should be
widely viewed to have se- obliged to respect all EU
cured a good deal in the rules and obligations during
coalition negotiations — the transition period aimed
capturing the powerful fi- at easing the country out of
nance ministry, along with the bloc next year.
the foreign and labor min- Speaking to reporters at
istries and three others that the end of a week of tech-
it already held. nical talks, Michel Barnier
But Schulz's own plans were also said that Britain has still
becoming a major distrac- not outlined its vision of fu-
tion. The former Europe- ture EU-U.K. relations at vir-
an Parliament president tually the half-way mark of
said Wednesday that he the Brexit negotiations.
planned to become Ger- Britain officially departs the
many's next foreign minister EU on March 29 next year
— a risky move given that, — the first member ever to
after the election, he had leave — but the extraor-
explicitly ruled out entering dinarily complex negotia- European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier addresses the media on Brexit at EU head-
Merkel's next Cabinet. He tions must be concluded quarters in Brussels on Friday Feb. 9, 2018. The EU and Britain conducted a seventh round of Brexit
also said Andrea Nahles, this fall to allow time for negotiations on Friday.
the party's parliamentary parliaments to ratify any (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)
leader, would take over deal. This week the sides European Parliament," Bar- sketch in some of the de- border of Northern Ireland,
as the Social Democrats' discussed the nature of a nier said. "The United King- tails Friday, but Barnier says which is part of the United
chairwoman. transition period lasting un- dom must accept all the the British side canceled Kingdom, and the Republic
In a statement Friday, til the end of 2020 which rules and the conditions the meeting due to a of Ireland, which is a mem-
Schulz said members' ap- would help provide cer- right until the end of the scheduling conflict. He did ber of the EU.
proval of Germany's new tainty for markets and busi- transition, and must also not provide details. Britain has said it would
coalition government was nesses nervous about the accept the inescapable EU leaders have been come up with imaginative
endangered by the discus- future. consequences of its deci- pressing for information ways to ensure that there
sion about his future so "I "Our interlocutors shared sion to leave the European from Britain. Without a clear is no hard border between
will not enter the govern- with us a number of points Union." understanding of what kind them. Any restrictions could
ment and fervently hope of disagreement that I con- Barnier said that Prime Min- of post-Brexit relationship inflame old tensions in the
that this ends the person- sider to be substantial," Bar- ister Theresa May's gov- the U.K. wants, they say north.
nel debates inside the So- nier said. "The transition is ernment has still has not they might be forced to But Barnier warned that a
cial Democratic Party." not yet sealed." outlined what future ties reach arrangements simi- hard border seems inevita-
"We are all in politics for the One major obstacle, Bar- between Brussels and Lon- lar to those the EU has with ble if Britain leaves Europe’s
good of the people of our nier said, is the rights of don should look like after other non-members and single market and customs
country," Schulz added. citizens affected by Brexit. Brexit despite constant re- not the special agreement union arrangements.
"That also means that my Britain does not want any quests for more clarity. London wants. “It is important to tell the
personal ambitions must agreement on those rights He said he warned his Brit- As the Brexit negotiations truth. A U.K. decision to
come behind the interests to apply to anyone arriving ish counterpart, David Da- advance, separate talks leave the single market
of the party." in the U.K. during the transi- vis, this week that "the mo- are being held on one of and to leave the customs
Schulz was Merkel’s de- tion period. ment has come to take the toughest issues: how to union would make border
feated challenger in Sep- "This is a major issue for us. It decisions." keep people, goods and checks unavoidable,” he
tember. q is also a major issue for the Britain was expected to finance flowing across the said. q