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WORLD NEWS Saturday 25 November 2017

No breakthrough in Brexit talks as new deadline approaches

By LORNE COOK billion) to clear London’s
RAF CASERT tab.
Associated Press Asked by British report-
BRUSSELS (AP) — British ers whether their country
Prime Minister Theresa May should pay more, Aus-
failed Friday to make any trian Chancellor Christian
breakthrough in Brexit talks Kern said: “Yes of course
with the European Union, you should, it’s an easy
as time runs out to move answer.” More generally,
the negotiations into a crit- Luxembourg Prime Minister
ical second phase before Xavier Bettel said “there
the end of the year. is still some work to do to
At a summit in Brussels, May bring us closer on certain
met with German Chan- points” by the next EU sum-
cellor Angela Merkel, the mit in Brussels.
leaders of Belgium, Den- The big sticking point for
mark, Lithuania and Eu- Ireland is to ensure that no
ropean Council President barriers to trade are set up
Donald Tusk, seeking to after Brexit between it and
move the talks onto future British Prime Minister Theresa May, second right, speak with European Council President Donald Northern Ireland, which is
relations between Britain Tusk, second left, during a round table meeting at an Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels, part of the U.K., especially
and the EU, especially their Friday, Nov. 24, 2017. given the sectarian ten-
trade ties. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) sions that have long sim-
“There are still issues across cember 14-15 EU summit on the future of the bor- ress the issue in relation to mered in the region.
the various matters that we could yet be made, “but der between EU member the financial settlement.” “We are not going to allow
are negotiating on,” May still a huge challenge. state Ireland and Northern Britain has suggested that a border to remerge on
told reporters after her We need to see progress Ireland, which is part of the it would be willing to pay the island of Ireland, and
meetings. “But there has from U.K within 10 days on U.K., or on the size of the di- around 20 billion euros ($24 we have a shared respon-
been a very positive at- all issues, including on Ire- vorce bill. billion) to settle the divorce sibility with Britain to make
mosphere in the talks and land.” On the latter she said only: bill, while the Europeans sure that doesn’t happen,”
a genuine feeling that we May refused to say how “we have been talking are seeking anywhere from said Irish Foreign Minister Si-
want to move forward to- much progress was made about how we can prog- 60-100 billion euros ($72-120 mon Coveney.q
gether,” she added.
Britain is set to leave the Ireland faces crisis at crunch time for Brexit
bloc on March 29, 2019,
but the negotiations must
be wrapped up in less LONDON (AP) — Ireland’s a previous government, in ister Simon Coveney said tions with the bloc.
than a year to leave par- main opposition party filed which Fitzgerald was justice Fianna Fail was “behaving Ireland says the EU will block
liaments time to ratify the a no-confidence motion minister, of failing to defend recklessly” at a crucial time those talks if Britain does
agreement. in the deputy prime min- a whistleblower exposing for the country. not spell out how it can
EU leaders are set to de- ister Friday, a move that corruption in Ireland’s po- “Ireland does not need an keep the Ireland-Northern
cide in three weeks if the brings the government to lice force. election right now,” Co- Ireland border free of cus-
negotiations have made the verge of collapse three Varadkar’s Fine Gael party veney said at an EU meet- toms posts and other barri-
“sufficient progress” — on weeks before a crucial Eu- is standing by Fitzgerald, ing in Brussels. ers after Brexit.
Britain’s financial settle- ropean Union summit on but his minority govern- He said “there are some re- The 310 mile (500 kilome-
ment, the status of Irish Brexit. ment relies on support from ally, really serious issues for ter) frontier will be the U.K.’s
borders and the rights of The Fianna Fail party is call- Fianna Fail to govern. the government to man- only land border with an EU
citizens hit by Brexit — for ing for the resignation of If it loses a confidence age in the national inter- country. Any hurdles to the
the talks to be expanded. Prime Minister Leo Varad- vote, Ireland faces a snap est.” EU leaders will decide movement of people or
Currently, it seems unlikely kar’s deputy, Frances election. Ireland’s parlia- at a Dec. 14-15 summit goods could have serious
that will happen. Fitzgerald, over her involve- ment is due to debate the whether there has been implications for the econo-
After his meeting with May, ment in a long-running po- no-confidence motion on enough progress in Brexit mies on both sides, and for
Tusk tweeted that “suffi- lice scandal. Tuesday, unless Fitzgerald talks to start discussions Northern Ireland’s peace
cient progress” by the De- Opposition leaders accuse resigns. Irish Foreign Min- over Britain’s future rela- process.q