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A28 world news
Dialuna 7 September 2020

Johnson says U.K. will quit Brexit talks if no deal by Oct 15

By JILL LAWLESS it was working "in good faith"
Associated Press to implement the agreed
LONDON (AP) — British border provisions but was
Prime Minister Boris John- "considering fallback op-
son talked tough on Sunday tions in the event this is not
ahead of a crucial round of achieved."
post-Brexit trade talks with The EU says a deal has to be
the European Union, saying struck before November to
Britain could walk away from allow time for parliamentary
the talks within weeks and approval and legal vetting
insisting that a no-deal exit before the transition period
would be a "good outcome expires.
for the U.K." Johnson gave an even shorter
With talks deadlocked, John- deadline in remarks he's due
son said an agreement would to deliver on Monday, say-
only be possible if EU negoti- ing an agreement needed to
ators are prepared to "rethink be sealed by an EU summit
their current positions." scheduled for Oct. 15.
The EU, in turn, accuses "If we can't agree by then,
Britain of failing to negotiate then I do not see that there
seriously. will be a free trade agreement
Britain left the now 27-na- between us, and we should
tion EU on Jan. 31, three- both accept that and move
and-a-half years after the on," he said in the comments,
country narrowly voted to which were released in ad-
end more than four decades In this file photo dated Monday, May 18, 2020, traffic moves along the M6 motorway near vance by his office.
of membership. Birmingham, England. Trade Without a deal, British freight
That political departure will Associated Press firms have warned there
be followed by an economic due to meet in London start- not imposed on other coun- the U.K.'s Northern Ireland could be logjams at ports and
break when an 11-month ing Tuesday for their eighth tries it has free trade deals and EU member Ireland that supplies of key goods in Brit-
transition period ends on round of negotiations. with, such as Canada. it has already signed up to. ain could be "severely dis-
Dec. 31 and the U.K. leaves Barnier said last week he was Frost told the Mail on Sun- The border guarantee was a rupted" starting Jan. 1.
the EU's single market and "worried and disappointed" day newspaper that Britain key part of the legally bind- French Foreign Minister
customs union. by the lack of progress and was "not going to compro- ing divorce agreement made Jean-Yves Le Drian said Sun-
Without a deal, the New Year said the U.K. had not "en- mise on the fundamentals of between Britain and the bloc day that talks were "not going
will bring tariffs and other gaged constructively." having control over our own last year. well" and dismissed British
economic barriers between The key sticking points are laws." British Brexit supporters attempts to drive a wedge
the U.K. and the bloc, its big- European boats' access to "We are not going to accept hate the agreement because between EU nations on is-
gest trading partner. Johnson U.K. fishing waters and state level playing field provisions it means keeping Northern sues such as fishing. Le Drian
said the country would "pros- aid to industries. The EU is that lock us in to the way the Ireland aligned to some EU said the 27 nations remained
per mightily" even if Britain determined to ensure a "level EU do things," he said. rules and regulations. But united.
had "a trading arrangement playing field" for competition In another sign of poten- any move to undermine it "We would prefer a deal, but a
with the EU like Australia's" so British firms can't under- tial trouble ahead, the Fi- would infuriate the EU and deal on the basis of our man-
— the U.K. government's cut the bloc's environmen- nancial Times reported that threaten the trade talks. date," he told France Inter
preferred description of a no- tal or workplace standards Johnson's government was "This would be a very unwise radio. "There is room for ac-
deal Brexit. or pump public money into planning domestic legisla- way to proceed," tweeted tion, but the whole package,
British chief negotiator Da- U.K. industries. tion that would water down Irish Foreign Minister Simon including the fishing pack-
vid Frost and his EU coun- Britain accuses the bloc of commitments to maintain- Coveney. age, needs to be taken up in
terpart Michel Barnier are making demands that it has ing an open border between The British government said order to avoid a 'no deal.'"q

Rare spat between Serbia and Russia after U.S.-brokered deal

sored agreement between who have given her the job," has been forging close po-
Serbia and Kosovo has trig- Vucic told the pro-govern- litical, economic and military
gered a rare spat between ment Pink TV. Later Sun- ties with Russia and China.
traditional allies Moscow and day, Zakharova apologized on Trump announced Friday
Belgrade.Spokeswoman Ma- Twitter, saying her post had that former wartime foes Ser-
ria Zakharova posted a photo been misinterpreted. Her bia and Kosovo have agreed
showing Serbian President boss, Russian Foreign Minis- to normalize economic ties
Aleksandar Vucic sitting ter Sergey Lavrov, spoke Sun- as part of U.S.-brokered talks
across from U.S. President day with Vucic, stressing the that include Belgrade moving
Donald Trump at his Oval "sincerely close ties" between its Israeli embassy to Jerusa-
Office in Washington. She the two states, the Serbian lem, and mutual recognition
posted that along with an- president's office said. Vucic between Israel and Kosovo.
other photo, the iconic scene said while he was in Wash- The announcement provided
from thriller "Basic Instinct" ington he defended Serbia's Trump with a diplomatic win
showing Sharon Stone being close ties with Russia, includ- ahead of the November pres-
questioned by police as she ing an arms purchase, and his idential election and furthers
President Donald Trump participates in a signing ceremony with sits cross-legged in a chair. refusal to impose Western his administration's push to
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, left, and Kosovar Prime Zakkharova mocked Vucic in sanctions against Moscow improve Israel's international
Minister Avdullah Hoti, in the Oval Office of the White House, a comment on the Facebook over its policies in Ukraine. standing.
Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, in Washington. post, saying he was invited to Marko Djuric, an official The agreement also calls on
Associated Press the White House to be inter- with Vucic's ruling party, de- Serbia to diversify its energy
rogated. fended him on Twitter. supplies, which are now fully
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) spokeswoman apparently "The primitivism and vulgar- Although formally seeking in Russia's hands — some-
— A social media post by ridiculing Serbia's president ity she showed speaks about membership in the European thing unlikely to be approved
Russia's Foreign Ministry after he signed a U.S.-spon- herself, but also about those Union, Serbia under Vucic by Moscow.q