Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 21 July 2017

EU, UK tiptoeing forward in vital Brexit divorce talks

on the Northern Ireland have been pushing back
peace process. against EU allegations that
“This week’s experience they were ill-prepared, in-
has shown, we make bet- sisting they needed less
ter progress when our public paperwork since
respective positions are they did not have to report
clear,” Barnier said, in a back to 27 nations.
comment that highlighted Britain’s Brexit minister Da-
the bloc’s impatience with vid Davis said that four
the British foot-dragging to days of talks among doz-
start discussions following ens of negotiators had pro-
the June 2016 referendum vided “a lot to be positive
that backed Brexit. about.”
One major barrier is how Davis said he’s “encour-
much Britain will pay to aged by progress” on key
meet its obligations as issues, even though ne-
part of any Brexit deal. Es- gotiators barely moved
timates have ranged from beyond exploratory issues
around 40 billion euros ($34 during talks that are ex-
billion) and 100 billion. pected to stretch into late
Foreign Secretary Bo- 2018.
ris Johnson has said the One problem stood out,
EU can “go whistle” for its though.
The EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, right, and British Secretary of State David Davis ad-
dress the media after a week of negotiations at EU headquarters in Brussels, Thursday July 20, 2017. money if it comes with ex- The EU wants its top court,
UK’s chief Brexit negotiator says week of talks with EU has given “us a lot to be positive about.” cessive demands. the European Court of Jus-
(AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) “Accounts have to be set- tice, still to be the final ar-
tled,” Barnier countered. biter on many issues in the
By RAF CASERT bling blocks will be agree- to follow the country’s exit Barnier said during a joint wake of the Brexit agree-
PAN PYLAS ing which court will have from the bloc can begin. news conference that the ment, which Britain rejects.
Associated Press the final say in settling legal He asked for a clear British “clarification of the U.K. The court was a key is-
BRUSSELS (AP) — Britain disputes after Brexit. plan on how much it should position is indispensable sue during the 2016 refer-
and a frustrated European The EU’s chief Brexit ne- pay, the rights of citizens liv- for us to negotiate and for endum campaign, with
Union hesitantly edged for- gotiator, Michel Barnier, ing in each other’s nations us to make sufficient prog- ‘leave’ campaigners argu-
ward during their first full urged Britain to flesh out its and how to keep make ress on this financial dossier ing that the primary role of
divorce negotiation session positions on a variety of is- sure that the handling of which is inseparable from the European court over
this week, though it be- sues that need to be dealt the land border with Ire- other dossiers.” national courts represent-
came clear Thursday that with before discussions on land doesn’t negatively British negotiators — 99 of ed a substantial loss of sov-
one of the biggest stum- a wide-ranging trade deal impact on business and them arrived on Monday — ereignty.
Barnier insisted the ECJ still
France’s Macron visits air force base amid crisis needs a strong role.
“Quite frankly,” he said,
PARIS (AP) — French Presi- His replacement as chief of army’s will see an increase, But Macron ran into conflict “any reference to Europe-
dent Emmanuel Macron staff of the armed forces, is unprecedented, and I with former armed forces an rights imply their over-
promised an “unprec- Gen. Francois Lecointre, want to you to understand chief of staff Gen. Pierre sight by the court of justice
edented” hike in defense was at Macron’s side for how important this is,” he de Villiers, who resisted 850 of the European Union.”
spending next year and much of Thursday’s event. told officers gathered at Is- million euros in cuts an- It leaves the negotiators
vowed to safeguard the Macron promised to boost tres. nounced last week to this with plenty of work for the
country’s nuclear deter- spending by 1.8 billion eu- He called France’s nuclear year’s budget. rest of the summer and
rent, as he tries to show his ros ($2.1 billion) to 34.2 bil- arsenal “the heart of our Villiers’ departure Wednes- early fall. Since the talks
commitment to the troops lion ($39 billion) euros next defense.” day rattled the normally have taken four months
amid a crisis over the mili- year. He has also pledged France’s youngest-ever quiet, loyal French military to fully kick off, negotia-
tary budget. to bring defense spend- president, Macron has and exposed simmering tors will now be pressed
Macron flew in a C-135 mili- ing to 2 percent of GDP by sought to establish his au- concerns about neglected to make up lost time on a
tary jet and visited nuclear 2025 to fulfill pledges to the thority over the military, no- facilities and dwindling re- host of wickedly compli-
forces at the Istres air base NATO military alliance, from tably by touring a nuclear sources. Villiers notably ar- cated issues which could
in southern France on Thurs- about 1.8 percent of GDP submarine and oversee- gued that France’s military take years,
day a day after the head currently. ing last week’s military pa- is being stretched more if comparable interna-
of the French military quit “This increase in the bud- rade for Bastille Day along- and more to fight Islamic tional examples like trade
in a damaging dispute with get, in a year where no side U.S. President Donald extremist threats at home agreements are any
Macron over budget cuts. other budget except the Trump. and abroad.q guide.q