Page 8 - aruba-today-20180120

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 20 January 2018
Catalan ex-head to risk arrest, travel to Denmark France’s Macron

plans increase in
ARITZ PARRA
Associated Press defense budget
MADRID (AP) — Cata-
lonia’s former president, By S. PETREQUIN
a fugitive sought by Spain Associated Press
over a foiled secession bid, PARIS (AP) — French Presi-
will travel to Denmark next dent Emmanuel Macron
week for a university de- will boost defense spend-
bate despite the possible ing in the coming years to
risk of arrest, officials said guarantee his country’s
Friday. domestic security and
Carles Puigdemont plans maintain French military
to make the trip to Copen- engagement abroad, as
hagen as he tries to get his he repeated his wishes for
old job back and step up an increased European
the pressure on Spanish au- military cooperation on Fri-
thorities, which have said a day.
fugitive abroad can’t be Addressing soldiers on-
the Catalan regional presi- board the assault ship Dix-
dent. mude off the naval base
The University of Copenha- of Toulon, Macron prom-
gen announced a debate ised to increase spending
for Monday in the Danish In this Jan 12, 2018 photo, ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, center, stands with elected by 1.8 billion euros ($2.2 bil-
capital on “Catalonia and Catalan lawmakers of his Together for Catalonia party at a park in Brussels. Puigdemont will travel lion) this year to 34.2 billion
Europe at a Crossroads for to Denmark next week for a university debate, officials said Friday, Jan. 19, 2018 despite the pos- ($42 billion) euros.
Democracy.” sible risk of arrest. He also pledged to bring
Janni Brixen, a media of- (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) defense spending to 2 per-
ficial with the university’s dition request to Belgium ment of the risk that the trip tempt led Spanish central cent of GDP —from about
Faculty of Social Science, in December after it be- posed. The Danish Ministry authorities to take direct 1.8 percent currently — by
said Puigdemont would at- came clear that authorities of Justice also refused to control of Catalonia, dis- 2025, in a move aimed at
tend it “in person.” in Brussels would probably comment. band its regional cabinet “stopping the erosion of
A spokeswoman for Puig- agree to send him back Puigdemont is seeking to and call an early regional our military capacity.”
demont’s party also con- but would restricted the be back in charge of af- election. Six months after a crisis over
firmed that he was plan- crimes that he could be fairs in Catalonia even if it The Catalan vote in De- cuts in the military budget
ning to travel to Copen- judged for in Spain. is from self-imposed exile in cember failed to break the led to the appointment of
hagen and attend the The separatist politician still Belgium. political deadlock, grant- a new chief of staff of the
debate “representing the faces detention if he returns “If I have to choose be- ing separatists a slim par- armed forces, Macron said
legitimate government of to Spain, but is free to travel tween being an inmate or liamentary majority that in the financial effort was
Catalonia.” elsewhere unless the judge a president, I’d rather be a theory would allow them to “unprecedented.”
Puigdemont is being inves- re-activates the European president, even from afar,” form a government. Last summer, Gen. Pierre
tigated by Spain for pos- and international arrest he told Catalonia’s public But with ousted Catalan de Villiers submitted his res-
sible rebellion, sedition and warrants against him. There radio Friday. Cabinet members under ignation after a clash with
embezzlement linked to a was no sign of that being in “At least now I can do investigation, jailed or in Macron and was replaced
unilateral declaration of the works on Friday. things that I wouldn’t be Belgium and facing arrest by Gen. Francois Lecointre.
independence last fall in Lawyer Paul Bekaert, who able to do in prison,” he if they return home, the re- De Villiers had resisted 850
the northeastern Spanish has represented Puigde- said, referring to the help gional parliament must de- million euros ($1 billion) in
region of Catalonia. mont in earlier extradition that “new technologies” cide by the end of January cuts to last year’s budget.
A Spanish Supreme Court hearings in Belgium, de- could provide. whether to permit Puigde- Revealing that French
judge dropped an extra- clined to discuss his assess- The October secession at- mont’s re-election. q soldiers had rescued 106
migrants off Libya coast
Belarus bristles at Kazak offer to host Ukraine talks earlier this week, Macron
praised French troops for
their involvement in cur-
By Y. KARMANAU said. helped reduce hostilities location. rent French overseas op-
Associated Press “The negotiations on that have killed over 10,000 Asked to comment on the erations, including Sahel,
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Be- Ukraine could even be since April 2014, but clashes statements by Kazakh- Western Africa and Middle
larus on Friday mocked Ka- moved to Antarctica if between Ukrainian forces stan and Belarus, Russian East. “We have entered
zakhstan’s suggestion that there is a certainty about and Russia-backed sepa- President Vladimir Putin’s an era of great turbu-
it could serve as a new ven- their success.” ratists have continued and spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, lence,” Macron said. “With
ue for Ukraine peace talks He added that for the talks attempts at political settle- said the adherence to the globalization, our country’s
previously hosted by Minsk. to succeed it’s necessary ment have stalled. Minsk agreements is of pri- interests are no longer lim-
Belarusian Foreign Minister that every party to the con- Kazakh President Nursultan mary importance and the ited to our territory.
Vladimir Makei said in a flict sincerely aims to end Nazarbayev said Thursday choice of venue matters Sometimes, defending our
statement released to The the bloodshed. that the Minsk talks were little. territory consists in fighting
Associated Press that the Belarus has hosted a series deadlocked and suggest- The 2015 peace deal terrorists thousands of kilo-
ex-Soviet nation “isn’t seek- of negotiations to try to set- ed that his country could obliged Ukraine to offer meters away.”
ing peacemaker’s laurels tle the separatist conflict in host them. broad autonomy to the The budget for overseas
unlike some others.” eastern Ukraine that erupt- He said on a visit to the U.S. separatist regions and a operations will be gradu-
He added that moving the ed weeks after Russia’s an- that he discussed the issue sweeping amnesty to reb- ally increased to reach 1.1
talks elsewhere wouldn’t nexation of Crimea in 2014. during a meeting with Pres- els. Most Ukrainian political billion euros ($1.3 billion)
change anything. A 2015 agreement signed ident Donald Trump, add- parties rejected that idea in 2020, compared to 450
“The negotiations’ venue in Minsk that was brokered ing that Trump suggested as a betrayal of national million ($551 million) last
is hardly relevant,” Makei by France and Germany moving the talks to another interests.q year.q