Page 8 - aruba-today-20181020

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 20 OctOber 2018

European, Asian leaders want free trade, push back at Trump

By MIKE CORDER in Brussels also included
Associated Press discussions on fighting
BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe both climate change and
and Asia presented a unit- cybercrimes. In their clos-
ed front Friday in support of ing statement, the leaders
free trade based on inter- expressed “profound con-
national rules and cooper- cern that current global
ation, starkly underscoring efforts are insufficient” to
their differences with U.S. meet goals set out in the
President Donald Trump’s 2015 Paris climate accord.
“America First” policy. Trump has removed the
That support for free trade U.S. from that deal.
“is the most important sig- On the sidelines of the
nal from this summit, espe- meeting, the EU signed a
cially valid in the current pact with Vietnam that
geopolitical context,” EU aims to tackle illegal log-
Council President Donald ging and was to sign a free
Tusk said at the end of a trade deal with Singapore.
two-day Europe-Asia sum- The two-day meeting also
mit in Brussels. was the backdrop for nu-
The meeting comes at a merous bilateral meetings
time when Trump is increas- — EU foreign affairs chief
ingly distancing the United Federica Mogherini dis-
States from global orga- European Council President Donald Tusk, bottom left, and China’s Prime Minister Li Keqiang, cussed human rights vio-
nizations like the United bottom right, pose for a group photo at an EU-ASEM summit in Brussels, Friday, Oct. 19, 2018. lations in Cambodia and
Nations. Trump told the Associated Press Myanmar with those coun-
U.N. general assembly last Trump. The officials came Trump slapped 25 percent The stakes are even higher tries’ representatives, while
month: “We reject the ide- from countries that repre- tariffs on steel imports and in Trump’s trade war with British Prime Minister There-
ology of globalism, and we sent some two-thirds of the 10 percent on imported China. Trump has imposed sa May tried to talk up her
embrace the doctrine of world’s economic output, aluminum from the EU on tariffs on about $250 billion nation’s post-Brexit relation-
patriotism.” 55 percent of global trade June 1. He said the move worth of Chinese products ship with China, South Ko-
Those at the summit — 30 and 60 percent of the was to protect U.S. national amid U.S. accusations that rea and Singapore in meet-
European leaders, their world’s population. security interests, but the China engages in cyber- ings with officials from those
counterparts from 21 Asian A written statement said the Europeans claim it is simply theft and coerces foreign countries.
nations as well as top of- leaders “highlighted the vi- protectionism and breaks companies into handing In another of the meeting’s
ficials from the European tal need of maintaining an global trade rules. over technology in re- conclusions that ran coun-
Union and the Associa- open world economy and The EU hit back with tariffs turn for access to the Chi- ter to U.S. policy, European
tion of Southeast Asian upholding the rules-based on about 2.8 billion euros nese market, as well as by and Asian leaders praised
Nations — have the eco- multilateral trading system, worth ($3.4 billion) of U.S. Trump’s anger over China’s the Iran nuclear deal — an-
nomic clout to stand up to with the World Trade Orga- steel, agricultural and other trade surplus with the U.S. other multilateral initiative
that kind of rhetoric from nization at its core.” products. The wide-ranging agenda rejected by Trump. q

Macedonia lawmakers green light process for name change

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES longstanding dispute with The government rejected
Associated Press Greece that will allow the the allegations and said it
SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — country to join NATO. would respond with legal
Lawmakers in Macedonia Top EU official Donald Tusk, action.
on Friday backed a land- the president of the Euro- Following Friday’s vote, the
mark proposal to amend pean Council, Tweeted: amendment process must
the constitution, allowing “With one voice, you are formally start within the
the country to change its one big step closer to tak- next two weeks.
name and join NATO. ing your rightful place in our The name-change would
The session was delayed for trans-Atlantic community.” end a 27-year dispute with
more than 10 hours amid a Conservatives in Macedo- Greece, which claims its
heated confrontation. Par- nia vehemently oppose the neighbor’s current name
liament eventually voted in name change and boy- implies claims on its own
favor of the proposal — a cotted a referendum last adjoining province of
key step in accepting the month on the issue. Macedonia, and on an-
deal struck with neighbor- Igor Janushev, secretary cient Greek heritage.
ing Greece in June. Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev arrives on a session of general of the opposition Athens has said it will block
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s the Macedonian Parliament, in the capital Skopje, Friday, Oct. VMRO-DPMNE party, said Macedonia’s accession to
Social Democrat govern- 19, 2018. conservative lawmakers NATO and the European
ment struggled to woo Associated Press had endured a campaign Union unless it goes ahead
support from the conserva- history today,” Zaev said. and national unity.” of “political intimidation” with the constitutional
tive opposition members “Our journey toward a bet- With strong backing from ahead of the vote and amendments. Western of-
needed to achieve the ter future, toward European Western leaders, Zaev is claimed that three law- ficials strongly back the
two-thirds majority required Union and NATO member- leading a campaign to makers had been offered deal, which would reduce
in the 120-seat house. ship, has just begun ... We rename the country North bribes of between 250,000 Russian influence in the
“Together we have made will strive for reconciliation, Macedonia, resolving a and 2 million euros. Balkans.q