EU Urges UK Not to Tangle Up Brexit, Security Issues
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Britain and the European Union should resolve trade and other issues related to Britain’s exit from the bloc separately from discussions about a security pact with the UK, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said on Saturday.
“We need a security alliance between the UK and the EU, but we can’t mix that question up with other questions relating to Brexit,” Juncker told the annual Munich Security Conference.
“I wouldn’t like to put security policy considerations with trade policy considerations in one hat. I understand why some would like to do that, but we don’t want to,” he said, Reuters reported.
Earlier in the day, British Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain and the EU should sign a new security treaty and must not let ideological differences block co-operation in that sector after Brexit.
May, speaking at the same conference, said key aspects of a future partnership should be effective from 2019, emphasizing she was unconditionally committed to European security.
Britain is due to leave the European Union in March of next year.
She said Britain would respect the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) with regard to certain security agencies, but would not be subject to its jurisdiction.