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Heiko Maas has criticized Britain for her Brexit course. He warns of a difficult exit in the midst of the crisis, and has also spoken to the United States.
Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned of an increasing risk of a strong Brexit amid the crown crisis. “It is worrying that Britain is moving away from our jointly agreed political statement on key issues in the negotiations,” the SPD politician told the “Augsburger Allgemeine.” “This is not possible because the negotiations are a complete package, as stated in the political declaration.”
According to the Foreign Minister, no agreement on a comprehensive trade and association agreement or an extension of the negotiation period beyond the end of the year is foreseeable. “The British government still refuses to extend the deadline,” he added. “If it stays that way, we will have to deal with Brexit in addition to Corona by the end of the year.”
“We have to work together now”
Maas also called on the United States to work with the EU to deal with the economic consequences of the crown crisis. “Now we have to work together to get the global economy and trade back to work despite Corona.” The United States and the EU together would have an extraordinary influence, which one wants and must use on the world stage. Even if you have to remember this lately: “We build on a common base of values and have far more common interests than the opposite,” Maas said.
He sees the upcoming German Presidency of the Council of the EU as a great challenge. “As the largest member state, the expectations of our presidency were enormous before the crisis, and now they have risen again.” Crisis management will have priority for the federal government. “We have to keep the pandemic under control with measures that are as well coordinated as possible while driving Europe’s economic renaissance.” That would shape the presidency.