Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 24 OcTOber 2017

UK’s May says Brexit talks making progress; EU denies leak

billion euros ($24 billion) falls help her make progress.
far short of the EU estimate Juncker denied saying any
of 60 billion euros ($70 bil- such thing, insisting that his
lion) or more.May refused dinner with May in Brus-
to commit to a figure, say- sels had not gone nearly
ing “we are going through as badly as the Frankfurter
our potential commitments Allgemeine Sonntagszei-
line by line.”May has been tung suggested.“She was
in need of a boost from the neither tired nor beaten.
27 other EU leaders as she She did her thing, and I did
tries to hold together a gov- mine too,” Juncker said,
ernment, a Conservative speaking at the Institute
Party and a country deeply of Political Studies in Stras-
divided over Brexit. At the bourg, France.Juncker
EU meeting in Brussels last and his chief aide denied
week, she told fellow lead- leaking the account of the
ers that both sides needed meeting to the newspa-
“an outcome we can stand per, and May’s spokesman
behind and defend to our declined to comment on
people.”An EU official said, it.Meanwhile, Britain’s big-
after last week’s dinner, all gest business groups urged
British Prime Minister Theresa May Theresa May speaks during a media conference at an EU sum- the leaders were aware of May’s Conservative gov-
mit in Brussels on Friday, Oct. 20, 2017. May said Monday she has “a degree of confidence” that the difficulties May is facing ernment to quickly agree
Brexit talks will be able to move to their decisive second phase by December. at home. The official, who to a transition period of at
(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) spoke on condition of ano- least two years after Brexit
By JILL LAWLESS the talks on Britain’s divorce With Britain’s March 2019 nymity because the talks to provide certainty about
RAF CASERT from the EU had made “im- departure from the EU were confidential, said trade as companies make
Associated Press portant progress,” despite moving closer, Britain is ea- there was a sense among critical decisions about
LONDON (AP) — Giving an a judgment by the 27 other ger to start discussing trade EU leaders that they didn’t jobs and investment.The
upbeat verdict on an in- EU leaders that more needs and future relations with want to make life more dif- letter sent to U.K. Brexit Sec-
conclusive European Union to be done before the two the bloc. But EU leaders say ficult for May.But May’s life retary David Davis said an
summit, British Prime Minister sides can discuss trade and there has not yet been “suf- was not made any easier “agreement (on a transi-
Theresa May said Monday their future relations. ficient progress” on divorce by a German newspa- tion) is needed as soon as
she has “a degree of confi- May said she had “a de- terms, including the size of per report claiming that possible, as companies are
dence” that Brexit talks will gree of confidence we are the bill Britain must pay to EU Commission President preparing to make serious
be able to move to their going to get to a point of settle its commitments to Jean-Claude Juncker, who decisions at the start of
decisive second phase by sufficient progress by De- the bloc.Britain’s initial of- dined with May last week, 2018, which will have con-
December. cember,” allowing talks to fer to cover its previous EU saw her as “despondent” sequences for jobs and in-
She told lawmakers that move on. commitments of around 20 and “begging” the EU to vestment in the U.K.”q
Greece aims for quick austerity review as bailout end nears

By DEREK GATOPOULOS ing state control of public based financial think-tank, ends in August 2018. It’s also already planned over the
Associated Press utilities and an extensive re- OMFIF. She said the key dif- hoping to be granted more next two years despite
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — view of government spend- ficulty is the slow implemen- generous repayment terms forecasts of a return to
Bailout negotiators have re- ing in order to meet high tation of some 95 outstand- from bailout lenders as its economic growth.A gov-
turned to Greece to try and budget surplus targets for ing reforms Greece had to economy suffers under ernment spokesman, Dimi-
reach a deal by the end of 2018 and 2019. make. the weight of a whopping tris Tzannakopoulos, said
the year on the terms for Bailout reviews are nor- “Only around 20 have been national debt worth some the government would
the next loan payout, as mally delayed for months implemented so far, which 180 percent of GDP.Greek not impose any additional
the debt-plagued country as governments push back translates into a need of bond yields have fallen cuts beyond those already
prepares to end eight years against demands for aus- completing more than one sharply since the summer, agreed upon, adding that
of rescue funding programs terity. Prime Minister Alexis per day going forward if a sign of increased inves- Greece remains on course
next summer. Tsipras is keen to conclude they are to be completed tor confidence, but they to beat budget targets this
At meetings Monday with the current round of ne- by (early December),” she remain considerably higher year and provide up to a
finance ministry officials, gotiations swiftly to help a said.“It’s not just a mat- than those of other euro- billion euros in additional
the envoys from European smooth return to bond mar- ter of volume, but also of zone members. funding for emergency wel-
Union institutions and the kets. complexity.”Greece made Tsipras’ left-wing govern- fare payments.“The money
International Monetary But Athens is already far a partial return to debt ment is trailing badly in will be given to those who
Fund started discussions on behind schedule, says Da- markets in July and is plan- opinion polls behind op- have been most affected
a long list of demanded re- nae Kyriakopoulou, chief ning several more auctions position conservatives, with by the crisis,” he told pri-
forms. They include reduc- economist at the London- before the current bailout more austerity measures vate Antenna television.q