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WORLD NEWS Saturday 1 april 2017

EU wants to solve divorce before fall talks on UK’s future

RAF CASERT British Prime Minister There-
Associated Press sa May had been seeking
BRUSSELS (AP) — The Eu- parallel talks on the EU di-
ropean Union on Friday vorce and the future but
raised the possibility of start- those apparently will not
ing general talks on Britain’s happen for the foreseeable
future relationship with the future. Still, Tusk’s timetable
bloc as early as the fall if and the EU draft showed
decisive progress is made that the EU was willing to
on key parts of the divorce compromise.
proceedings — a move It will take a summit of the
that grants some of the Brit- 27 leaders, however, to sig-
ish prime minister’s wishes. nal that that moment has
Draft guidelines obtained come to look toward the
by The Associated Press future. In Germany, gov-
say the EU and Britain must ernment spokesman Stef-
first “settle the disentangle- fen Seibert said “we will
ment” of Britain from the hopefully come to this sec-
bloc. But once there is a ond step soon.”
tentative consensus be- EU leaders have warned
tween the two sides on ma- that the two years of talks
jor topics — the treatment triggered this week to ne-
of citizens in each other’s gotiate Britain’s exit will be
nations, billions in budget difficult — but insisted they
commitments, legal clarity don’t want an all-out eco- President of the European Council Donald Tusk attends a joint press conference in Valletta, Malta,
for companies working in nomic or diplomatic con- Friday, March 31, 2017. Tusk insisted Friday after a meeting in Malta that withdrawal from the bloc
comes ahead of any new relationship with Britain. But he also said the EU will not punish the U.K. in
Britain and a solution for Ire- flict. The 27 EU leaders are the exit talks, and that the so-called Brexit is punitive enough.
land’s border with the Unit- set to agree on common (AP Photo/Rene Rossignaud)
ed Kingdom — the EU says guidelines on April 29, ex-
it would be willing to look actly one month after May a solution pleasing both a penny. the British overseas territory
ahead. triggered the Brexit process. Brussels and London will not And when it comes to the on the Mediterranean that
“Once and only once we The challenges prior to be easy. U.K.’s land border in Ire- Spain has wanted back
have achieved sufficient moving onto the next step In addition, the outstand- land, which is key to the since it ceded it more than
progress on the withdrawal, of talks are sizable, howev- ing bill for London to pay in Northern Ireland peace three centuries ago. The
can we discuss the frame- er. Some 3.3 million EU citi- previously agreed EU costs process, Tusk’s draft guide- outpost at the southern
work for our future relation- zens now live in Britain and and commitments has line says that “flexible and point of the Iberian pen-
ship,” EU Council President about 1 million Briton live in been estimated at up to imaginative solutions will be insula has a population of
Donald Tusk said in Vallet- the rest of the EU. Since the 60 billion euros ($64 billion). required.” 32,000 and about 96 per-
ta, Malta. issue of foreigners taking Populist voices in Britain Further complicating things cent of its residents voted
He added “probably in the jobs from British workers fu- have urged the Conserva- in the full withdrawal ne- to remain in the EU last
autumn, at least I hope so.” eled the Brexit referendum, tive government not to pay gotiations will be Gibraltar, year.q

Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon formally requests referendum

DANICA KIRKA planned exit from the Eu- ment this week in favor tion vote. But Sturgeon says not if, but how.”
Associated Press ropean Union’s single mar- of asking for an indepen- Brexit has altered condi- “I hope that will be by
LONDON (AP) — Scotland’s ket is an outcome that will dence referendum. The tions dramatically. constructive discussion be-
first minister formally re- have significant implica- Scots want the vote to take May’s Downing Street of- tween our governments.”
quested a second referen- tions on Scotland, which place between autumn fice confirmed that the Sturgeon continued. “How-
dum on independence on voted in favor of remaining 2018 and spring 2019. letter had been received. ever, if that is not yet possi-
Friday, declaring that Scots in the EU. Britain’s government has It said it would respond in ble, I will set out to the Scot-
have the right to exercise “In these very changed said it will deny the request. due course. tish Parliament the steps
their right of self-determina- circumstances, the people May has made clear she Sturgeon said there ap- I intend to take to ensure
tion. of Scotland must have the does not believe it is the peared to be “no rational that progress is made to-
Nicola Sturgeon sent U.K. right to choose our own fu- time for another vote. Scot- reason” to deny a vote. wards a referendum.”
Prime Minister Theresa May ture — in short, to exercise tish voters rejected inde- “It is my firm view that the Some 62 percent of Scot-
a letter formally requesting our right of self-determina- pendence in a 2014 ref- mandate of the Scottish tish voters were in favor of
the transfer of powers to tion,” Sturgeon wrote. erendum that Sturgeon’s Parliament must be re- remaining in the EU in last
allow a second vote. Stur- The letter followed a 69-59 Scottish National Party spected and progressed,”
geon argued that Britain’s vote in the Scottish Parlia- called a once-in-a-genera- she wrote. “The question is June’s plebiscite. q