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Saturday 9 december 2017 WORLD NEWS
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UK, EU hail Brexit breakthrough despite unresolved questions

By LORNE COOK dragged on amid disputes
JILL LAWLESS over the divorce bill and
Associated Press the Irish border.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Britain and A final Brexit agreement
the European Union hailed must be found by next
a breakthrough Friday that autumn, to leave time for
allows them to begin talks national European parlia-
on their post-Brexit relations ments to endorse it.
without answering some If EU leaders endorse this
key questions about how deal, Brexit negotiations
their divorce will play out. are likely to resume in early
With pressure building on January, officials say.
British Prime Minister Theresa Still, the first phase is not re-
May’s fragile government, ally over.
the sides agreed on the last Friday’s deal seems to
sticking point in Britain’s di- simply delay decisions on
vorce terms: the border be- some key points, including
tween EU member Ireland how to keep the Irish bor-
and the United Kingdom’s der open.
Northern Ireland. Britain is promising to with-
They both accepted that draw from the European
the border must remain tariff-less single market and
open once Britain leaves customs union while say-
the bloc in 2019, although ing there will be no hard
they left it unclear how that border between Ireland
would happen in prac- British Prime Minister Theresa May, left, walks with European Council President Donald Tusk prior and Northern Ireland — al-
tice. After a hectic night to a meeting at the Europa building in Brussels on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. British Prime Minister though the former will re-
of phone diplomacy, the Theresa May, met with EU officials early Friday morning following crucial overnight talks on the main within the EU single
Northern Ireland party issue of the Irish border. market and the latter in the
blocking a deal __ and (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) U.K.
propping up May’s Conser- in EU countries and EU na- ommended that the talks deal. So complex are the issues
vative government — said tionals in the U.K. The also move to the next phase. The arrangement buys — and couched in such
it was satisfied. ironed out the terms of Brit- Leaders of Britain’s 27 EU time, particularly for May’s vague language in Fri-
Negotiators also reached ain’s financial obligations partner countries are ex- government, which EU ne- day’s deal — that experts
a broad agreement on the to the bloc, which could pected to ratify that deci- gotiators have complained will try to resolve the con-
other divorce terms, which total some 50 billion euros sion at a meeting on Thurs- of being indecisive in what tradictions in a separate
the EU had required before ($59 billion), though the ex- day in Brussels. it wants amid an internal strand of talks over the 10
it would allow the talks to act size of the bill cannot “I believe that we have now fight over the direction the months of negotiating time
move on to the weighty be calculated. made the breakthrough country should take. that remains.
questions of future relations, Just after dawn, with the that we needed,” Commis- A majority of British voters Even the European Com-
including trade, which had British flag flying outside sion President Jean-Claude decided 18 months ago to mission acknowledged the
been keeping businesses its headquarters, the EU’s Juncker said during a news leave the EU, but this first size of the challenge in a
and financial markets on executive body, the Eu- conference with May. phase of talks — focused report to EU leaders that
edge. ropean Commission, said EU lawmakers, who must on preliminary issues that said the wording “seems
The sides agreed on the it was finally satisfied with ratify any full Brexit agree- many had expected to hard to reconcile with the
rights of both British citizens May’s proposals and rec- ment, also endorsed the be resolved quickly — has United Kingdom’s commu-
nicated decision to leave
the internal market and
Bird flu: the Customs Union.”
The parties involved in the
Dutch farmers ordered to keep poultry indoors agreement appear satis-
fied, for now.
“I very much welcome the
THE HAGUE, Netherlands Friday after a suspected culled. ported around the world. prospect of moving ahead
(AP) — The Dutch gov- highly pathogenic vari- Zoos also have been or- Many egg producers suf- to the next phase, to talk
ernment has ordered the ant of the H5 bird flu was dered to prevent their birds fered major financial losses about trade and security
country’s farmers to keep discovered at the farm in from coming into contact earlier this year after the il- and to discuss the positive
all poultry indoors after bird Biddinghuizen, about 70 with wild waterfowl. legal use of a pesticide on and ambitious future rela-
flu was discovered at a kilometers (45 miles) east The Netherlands has a huge laying hens sparked a food tionship that is in all of our
duck farm. of Amsterdam. All 16,000 poultry industry, producing scare in Europe and be- interests,” May said.q
Authorities issued the order ducks at the farm will be eggs and meat that are ex- yond.