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A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 30 September 2017

EU moves ahead faster on new future than on Brexit talks

By RAF CASERT on divorce issues with Brit-
Associated Press ain — citizens’ rights, the
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Irish border and a financial
Twenty-seven European settlement — to grant the
Union nations, excluding U.K. its wish to start talking
Britain, will be coming up about a new trade deal
with clear options on a with the EU.
more tightly knit future for Juncker said it will take “a
themselves even before miracle” for there to be
they will allow divorce ne- sufficient progress by then,
gotiations with the U.K. to despite a round of nego-
move toward brokering a tiations in Brussels this week
new relationship. that ended with some
EU Council President Don- progress.
ald Tusk said Friday he Other EU leaders sounded
would be presenting “a a similar tone.
political agenda in two Irish Prime Minister Leo
weeks’ time,” after EU vi- Varadkar said despite “a
sion statements in recent better vibe and a better
weeks from French Presi- mood coming out of the
dent Emmanuel Macron, negotiations” he ques-
EU Commission President tioned whether the time
Jean-Claude Juncker and was right to move on to
others on how to the reform trade issues with Britain.
the bloc. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, speaks with Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, right, “It’s still very evident that
and French President Emmanuel Macron during a working session at an EU Digital Summit in
That will be just days before Tallinn, Estonia on Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. The European Union is looking beyond its impending there’s more work to be
the next EU summit, which is breakup with Britain at how to build a common future with the 27 nations remaining in the bloc. done,” he said.
expected to reject for now (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) For the past week, though,
British demands to start ne- grow too closer too quickly. nity for Europeans,” he said. The collegial atmosphere British Prime Minister There-
gotiating on the country’s Tusk said he would seek “In 5 or 10 years, it will be was bolstered by a non- sa May has sounded more
future links with the bloc “real solutions to real prob- too late.” confrontational dinner conciliatory.
alongside the current talks lems” and stressed the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Thursday night for EU lead- In Estonia, she guaranteed
on how to make the clean- need to make progress Rutte warned, however, ers, where few of the usual her country’s commitment
est Brexit possible. “step-by-step, issue-by-is- not to set the bar too high, east-west or north-south fis- to security even though
Officials said Tusk will be sue.” since changes in the bloc sures spoiled the mood, of- the nation is leaving the
given the job of reconcil- Macron said the EU had to of half a billion people ficials said. bloc.
ing Macron’s vision of how seize the moment of hav- have always been tough The goodwill has not ex- May visited troops in Es-
the EU should embrace a ing an improved economy to achieve. tended to the issue of Brexit tonia close to the Russian
joint budget, a shared mili- and increased confidence “Under-promise and over- over the past months. border on Friday and said
tary and harmonized taxes in the bloc to push through deliver,” Rutte said. EU leaders at their Oct. “the United Kingdom is un-
to stay globally relevant reforms before European “Don’t promise an ele- 19-20 summit have to say conditionally committed
with those ideas of EU na- elections in 2019. phant and see a mouse whether “sufficient prog- to maintaining Europe’s se-
tions that might not want to “2018 is a year of opportu- show up.” ress” has been achieved curity.”
“We will continue to offer
Israel grinds to a halt as Jews fast for Yom Kippur aid and assistance to EU
member states that are the
victims of armed aggres-
JERUSALEM (AP) — The ho- observant worshippers that country shuts down. Busi- highways with bicycle and sion, terrorism and natural
liest day of the Jewish cal- began with the Jewish New nesses and airports close; skateboard rides. or man-made disasters,”
endar has brought most of Year festival. radio and TV stations go Israel’s military shut West she vowed.
Israel to a halt for Judaism’s It is observed with a 25-hour silent. Roads are eerily qui- Bank crossings citing secu- She also proposed a “new
day of atonement. fast and long prayers ask- et devoid of traffic. Some rity assessments. A Palestin- security partnership” to
Yom Kippur began Friday ing God for forgiveness. secular, mostly young, Is- ian had killed three Israelis weather the divorce when
evening capping a 10-day The holiday is unique in Is- raelis take advantage of and wounded another at a her country leaves the bloc
period of soul-searching for rael as virtually the entire near-empty roads and settlement on Tuesday.q in March 2019. q