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A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 17 sepTember 2019

Noise but no breakthrough as Johnson, Juncker talk Brexit

By LORNE COOK the British ambassador's
JILL LAWLESS nearby residence.
Associated Press The visibly frustrated Lux-
LUXEMBOURG (AP) — Bo- embourg leader said Brexit
ris Johnson was booed by had become a "night-
protesters and berated by mare," and U.K. and Euro-
Luxembourg's leader on a pean citizens face huge
visit to the tiny nation Mon- uncertainty.
day for his first face-to-face "You can't hold their future
talks with the European hostage for party political
Union chief about securing gains," Bettel said.
an elusive Brexit deal. "Now it's on Mr. Johnson,"
On a day of commotion he added, gesturing at the
and conflicting signals, empty lectern in front of a
Johnson pulled out of a Union Jack.
news conference because Despite the EU's frustration
of noisy anti-Brexit dem- at the lack of detail, Junck-
onstrators, leaving Lux- er and Johnson agreed to
embourg's prime minister ramp up the pace of talks,
standing alone next to an Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, right, addresses a media conference next to an empty with EU chief negotiator Mi-
empty lectern as he ad- lectern intended for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson after a meeting at the prime ministers of- chel Barnier and U.K. Brexit
dressed the media. fice in Luxembourg, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. Secretary Steve Barclay
Still, Johnson insisted there Associated Press getting involved.
was a strong possibility of "Over the last couple of
securing a divorce agree- statement. plete Brexit "do or die," and pose the backstop be- weeks there's been a lot
ment before Britain is due "Such proposals have not has compared himself and cause it keeps the U.K. of work — papers have
to leave the 28-nation bloc yet been made," the Com- the U.K. to angry green bound to EU trade rules, been shared — but we are
in just over six weeks. mission said, adding that superhero the Incredible limiting its ability to forge now in the stage where we
"Yes there is a good chance officials "will remain avail- Hulk, telling the Mail on Sun- new free trade agree- have to start really accel-
of a deal. Yes, I can see the able to work 24/7." day newspaper: "The mad- ments around the world af- erating the work," Johnson
shape of it," Johnson as- Johnson insists the U.K. will der Hulk gets, the stronger ter Brexit. said. "That was the agree-
serted at a separate ap- leave the EU on the sched- Hulk gets, and he always Britain has suggested the ment today."
pearance before reporters uled date of Oct. 31 with escapes ... and that is the backstop could be re- Monday's meeting kicked
at the British ambassador's or without a Brexit deal. He case for this country." placed by "alternative ar- off a tumultuous week for
residence. hopes to strike a revised Luxembourg Prime Minister rangements" — a mix of Johnson.
EU leaders were far more agreement with the bloc Xavier Bettel, who also met technology to replace bor- On Tuesday, Britain's Su-
skeptical. at an EU summit on Oct. Johnson on Monday, said der checks and a common preme Court will consider
With the Brexit deadline 17-18, in time for an orderly the British leader needed area for agricultural prod- whether Johnson's deci-
just 45 days away, the Eu- departure. The agreement to "stop speaking and act." ucts and animals covering sion to suspend the British
ropean Commission said made by his predecessor, "We need more than just the whole island of Ireland. Parliament for five weeks
the first in-person meeting Theresa May, was rejected words," he said. "We need A small but noisy crowd of was lawful, after conflicting
between Johnson and Eu- three times by Britain's Par- a legally operable text to anti-Brexit protesters booed judgments in lower courts.
ropean Commission chief liament, prompting her to work on as soon as pos- and shouted "shame on Bo- Johnson sent British law-
Jean-Claude Juncker end- resign. sible." ris!" as Johnson arrived after makers home until Oct. 14,
ed with no breakthrough in Opponents fear Johnson — The key sticking point to a lunch for a meeting with a drastic move that gives
the impasse over how Brit- who helped lead the 2016 Brexit deal is the so-called Luxembourg prime minister him a respite from rebellious
ain can leave the EU with referendum campaign "backstop," an insurance Bettel. lawmakers determined to
a plan in place to manage that ended in a vote to policy in May's agreement Johnson pulled out of a thwart his Brexit plan.
the divorce. leave the EU — is heading intended to guarantee an planned outdoor news Last week, Scotland's high-
Britain had yet to offer any full-speed toward a disrup- open border between EU conference, saying later est civil court ruled the
"legally operational" so- tive no-deal Brexit. member Ireland and the that the pair would have move illegal because it
lutions to the problem of Many EU leaders suspect U.K.'s Northern Ireland. That been drowned out. Instead had the intention of stymie-
keeping goods and people the same thing, and mis- is vital both to the local Bettel addressed reporters ing Parliament. The High
flowing freely across the trust the brash British lead- economy and to Northern alone, next to an empty Court in London, however,
Irish border, the main road- er's populist rhetoric. John- Ireland's peace process. lectern, while Johnson is- said it was not a matter for
block to a deal, it said in a son has vowed to com- British Brexit supporters op- sued his statement outside the courts.q