May to Re-Establish Desire for Brexit Transition Deal to European Business Chiefs

British Prime Minister Theresa May, Reuters
British Prime Minister Theresa May, Reuters
TT

May to Re-Establish Desire for Brexit Transition Deal to European Business Chiefs

British Prime Minister Theresa May, Reuters
British Prime Minister Theresa May, Reuters

British Prime Minister Theresa May will restate her desire for a two-year Brexit implementation period when she meets European business organizations on Monday, her office said in a statement.

“Mrs May will reiterate the UK’s commitment to securing an implementation period of around two years once Britain leaves the EU in March 2019,” the statement said.

According to Reuters, May has stepped up her engagement with businesses in recent months, regularly meeting with British lobby groups and senior executives.

Monday’s meeting would, for the first time, expand that program to include include representatives from industry groups from Germany, France, Italy, Spain and other member states as well as British and EU-wide organizations.

“(May) will ask the business experts from organizations including the CBI and BusinessEurope to share their input on how the UK and EU can continue to thrive side by side in industry and economic development,” the statement said.

“The Prime Minister will also reiterate her vision set out in Florence for a bold and deep economic partnership with the EU – one in which the UK continues to be a global, free trading nation and the strongest friend and partner to the EU.”

Ministers from the departments of Brexit, business and the finance ministry will also attend.



France Summons Israeli Ambassador over Diplomatic Incident in Jerusalem

The Palestinian village of Burqa is seen as an Israeli flag is placed in the Jewish West Bank outpost of Homesh, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
The Palestinian village of Burqa is seen as an Israeli flag is placed in the Jewish West Bank outpost of Homesh, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
TT

France Summons Israeli Ambassador over Diplomatic Incident in Jerusalem

The Palestinian village of Burqa is seen as an Israeli flag is placed in the Jewish West Bank outpost of Homesh, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
The Palestinian village of Burqa is seen as an Israeli flag is placed in the Jewish West Bank outpost of Homesh, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

France's Foreign Ministry summoned Israel's ambassador on Tuesday following an incident involving Israeli security forces during a visit last week by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to Jerusalem.

The French ministry condemned the presence of armed Israeli police at the Eléona, a French-owned site on the Mount of Olives, and the brief detention of two French consulate gendarmes with diplomatic status.

Barrot canceled his scheduled visit to the compound. France has demanded measures to prevent such incidents from reoccurring, The AP reported.

Israeli police portrayed the controversy as a misunderstanding, saying two church workers who declined to identify themselves had refused entry to Israeli security guards accompanying Barrot. Police said they held the men for about 20 minutes and released them once they were identified as employees of the French Consulate in Jerusalem, the protector of French religious communities and four holy sites in the city.

Israeli police said all foreign ministers on official visits are assigned Israeli security guards. It said the logistics of Barrot’s visit were worked out beforehand with the French Embassy in Israel.

The diplomatic rift arose amid heightened security concerns for the France-Israel UEFA Nations League match on Thursday in Paris.

French authorities have announced extensive security measures to safeguard the event following violence against Israeli fans in Amsterdam.