Risingbd Online Bangla News Portal

Dhaka     Thursday   28 March 2024

EU leaders urge UK to quit Europe without delay

Amirul Islam || risingbd.com

Published: 04:41, 25 June 2016   Update: 15:18, 26 July 2020
EU leaders urge UK to quit Europe without delay

Risingbd Desk: EU leaders, bruised by Britain’s decision to leave the European Community have urged the UK to leave “as soon as possible” amid fears the Brexit could set off a chain reaction in other member countries.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he wants to begin negotiating Britain’s departure from the European Union, and there is no reason to wait until October, when British Prime Minister David Cameron has said he will resign.

“Britons decided yesterday that they want to leave the European Union, so it doesn’t make any sense to wait until October to try to negotiate the terms of their departure,” Mr Juncker said in an interview with Germany’s ARD television station.

“I would like to get started immediately.”

His words were repeated in a joint statement from the EU chiefs, who told Britain to “give effect to this decision of the British people as soon as possible, however painful that process may be.”

The statement came after British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would resign and leave the complex task of negotiating Britain’s exit to his successor — who most expect to be Leave leader Boris Johnson.

Mr Juncker said the EU would pursue a “reasonable approach” in negotiating the separation. “It’s not an amicable divorce, but it was not exactly a tight love affair anyway,” he said.

Germany made clear the remaining 27 countries should refrain from taking revenge, but focus on building consensus in areas such as security, migration and economic growth, German officials say.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the ZDF television station there was hard work ahead negotiating the terms of Britain’s exit, but European leaders were committed to charting a new course that tackled high rates of youth unemployment and other issues rose through the UK referendum.

Steinmeier said he told EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Luxembourg on Friday to focus on rebuilding a strong Europe, not hashing through differences with Britain.

“We have to accept the decision that was made, and not go looking for revenge,” said Mr Steinmeier, who will meet the foreign minister of France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg — the six founding EU members — in Berlin on Saturday.

Manfred Weber, who represents German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s political party in the European parliament, said it was imperative to start negotiations with Britain soon about its departure, to ensure stability and avoid uncertainties.

“We want to negotiate a new relationship, not a nasty divorce,” Mr Weber told the Muencher Merkur newspaper.

“My goal would be to wrap up the exit negotiations within about a year.”

German officials are worried France, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland and Hungary could also seek to leave the EU after Britain’s vote, German newspaper Die Welt said on Friday, citing a finance ministry strategy paper.

Mr Steinmeier said political parties in some EU member states would likely push for similar popular votes, but he knew of no specific country that was seriously considering leaving the bloc.

Source: Agencies

risingbd/DHAKA/June 25, 2016/Shahed/Amirul

risingbd.com