Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 29 June 2018

May and EU urge Brexit haste, trade blame over stalemate

By JILL LAWLESS so that EU national parlia-
BRUSSELS (AP) — Britain ments can ratify it before
and the European Union Britain officially leaves the
agreed Thursday that the bloc in March — is slipping
faltering Brexit talks need out of reach.
to speed up, but traded "We did expect that we
blame at a Brussels sum- would make more prog-
mit for the failure to make ress — or any progress, re-
progress in negotiating the ally," Irish Prime Minister Leo
U.K.'s departure from the Varadkar said. "What I will
bloc. be saying to Prime Minister
EU leaders said British gov- May is that we all have to
ernment divisions were en- intensify our efforts now. All
dangering a divorce deal, of us want a deal."
while Britain accused the EU leaders are especially
EU of taking an inflexible at- keen to see progress on the
titude to security that could issue of the Irish border. Brit-
make Europeans less safe. ain has promised to main-
Britain's looming March exit tain an invisible border, free
was something of a side of customs posts and other
dish on the first day of an EU infrastructure, between
summit where the top prior- Northern Ireland and the
ity was stemming a political Republic of Ireland — the
crisis over migration that U.K.'s only land frontier with
is shaking European unity an EU member.
and undermining German EU officials say they await
Chancellor Angela Merkel's detailed proposals from
government. British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives for an EU summit at the Europa building in Brussels, Britain for how that can be
Prime Minister Theresa May Thursday, June 28, 2018. achieved, given May's insis-
was given a slot over dinner Associated Press tence that Britain will leave
to update the 27 other EU the EU's customs union.
leaders on U.K. departure status in areas including frequent calls for a "deep ident Jean-Claude Juncker "I don't want to talk in
plans. The other EU nations security. The U.K. aims to and special" trade partner- said he was worried by the apocalyptic terms," said
will assess progress in di- retain a form of associate ship with the EU. lack of progress. Dutch Prime Minister Mark
vorce negotiations without membership in bodies in- Security is just one of many "I don't have to lecture The- Rutte. "What I want to say
her on Friday. cluding the police agency issues that remain unre- resa May, but I would like is the first, second and third
Britain is frustrated by what Europol and the European solved two years after our British friends to make priority now is to solve the
it sees as the bloc's inflex- Criminal Records Informa- Britain voted to leave the clear their positions," he problem of the Irish border."
ible approach. EU leaders tion System. bloc. May's own Conser- said. "We cannot go on to Varadkar said he looked
have warned, repeatedly, May's office said she told vative government is very live with a split Cabinet." forward to seeing the plan
that Britain can't cherry- EU leaders at dinner that divided about how close a British divisions look set to produced by the British
pick benefits of member- Britain plays a key role in relationship to seek with the come to a head next week, government after next
ship, such as access to the European security, but "our EU after Brexit. when May gathers her frac- week's meeting — though,
single market of 500 million ability to do so is being put The British leader is caught tious Cabinet at Chequers, he added, it would have
consumers, without ac- at risk." between pro-EU parlia- the prime minister's country been better to have had
cepting the responsibilities Britain argues that the ex- mentarians who want to retreat, to try to draw up a that information two years
that come with being in isting rules for third-party retain close economic ties united plan for future trade ago.
the bloc, including allow- countries would deny Brit- with Britain's biggest trading and security ties with the "You would have thought
ing free movement of EU ain access to key data- partner, and pro-Brexit law- EU. that before people voted
citizens to the U.K. bases and make informa- makers who want a clean EU officials have warned to leave the European
The EU says Britain will be tion-sharing more unwieldy. break so Britain can strike that the timetable the two Union they would have had
treated like any other third- May said Britain wanted an new trade deals around sides have set themselves an idea of what that new
party country after it leaves, "ambitious partnership" on the world. — to reach a divorce relationship would look
but Britain wants special security — an echo of her European Commission Pres- agreement by October like," he said.q