David Cameron Receives Frosty Welcome at EU Summit

Brussels, 23 Ramadan 1437/29 June 2016 (MINA) – David Cameron arrived at his final EU summit on Tuesday to a frosty welcome despite promising that the UK would not turn its back on its European allies following last week’s referendum to pull Britain out of the 28-member bloc, Financial Times reported.

Mr Cameron’s appearance in Brussels came as Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, declared Britain would not be able to pick and choose elements of EU membership and the European Parliament called for a “swift Brexit to end uncertainty”.

The British prime minister said he would urge his EU colleagues to “be as constructive as possible” with his successor, who is expected to take over by September.

“These countries are our neighbours, our friends, our allies, our partners, and I very much hope we’ll seek the closest possible relationship in terms of trade and co-operation and security, because that is good for us and that is good for them,” Mr Cameron said as he entered the EU summit building. “And that’s the spirit in which the discussions I think will be held today.”

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But even before the session began there were signs of renewed hostility towards Downing Street. After a heated debate, which at one point degenerated into catcalls and boos for Nigel Farage, the UK Independence party leader, the European Parliament voted for a resolution calling on Britain to begin divorce proceedings immediately.

Some of Mr Cameron’s fellow EU prime ministers made similar testy remarks. “Married or divorced, but not something in between,” said Xavier Bettel, the Luxembourg prime minister. “We are not on Facebook, with ‘It’s complicated’ as a status.”

The pace and nature of Britain’s exit from the EU has become one of the most contentious issues in both London and Brussels since last week’s vote.

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Most of the leaders of the UK’s Leave campaign, who are likely to form the core of a new British government, have said they want to begin Brexit negotiations before invoking Article 50 of the EU treaties, which would formally trigger two-year exit proceedings.

But Ms Merkel and other EU leaders have refused to engage in negotiations until Article 50 is invoked, setting up the first of what could be years of difficulties facing Mr Cameron’s successor.
Collapsed politically, monetarily, constitutionally and economically.

Mark Rutte, the Dutch premier and formerly one of Mr Cameron’s closest allies, argued for Britain to be granted “some space”. But he was unforgiving in his reasons why, saying: “England has collapsed politically, monetarily, constitutionally and economically.”

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Manuel Valls, the French prime minister, said it was not for Britain to dictate the pace of talks. “It’s not up to the British Conservative party to set the agenda,” he told the National Assembly in Paris.

Despite the increasing political and diplomatic tensions in Britain and the EU, financial markets took a break on Tuesday from two consecutive trading days of steep losses.

UK shares were continuing to recover in afternoon trading in London, where a rebound in the financial sector led the revival.

In New York, the S&P 500 opened up more than 1 per cent, although there was a more defensive feel to the leader board, with information technology and energy stocks among the best gainers. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)