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EU Council to talk Afghanistan, China trade and rising energy prices – National

European Union leaders are assembly for the primary time because the messy Western troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and France‘s lack of a multi-billion greenback submarine take care of Australia, occasions that they argue have uncovered Europe‘s want for extra autonomy on protection.

The leaders may have a lot to debate throughout their dinner at Brdo Fort in Slovenia on Tuesday, the eve of a summit with leaders from neighboring Balkans international locations. The 27-nation commerce bloc’s tense relationship with China and rising power costs can even be on agenda.

The casual talks usually are not anticipated to ship concrete outcomes however meant to organize the bottom for a scheduled two-day EU summit later this month in Brussels.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has for years pushed for a higher strategic autonomy for the bloc, is anticipated to steer the dinner dialogue on AUKUS, the Indo-Pacific protection deal between the U.S., Australia and Britain that led Australia to cancel the contract for diesel-electric French submarines.

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“The dinner will deal with the position of the European Union on the worldwide scene — an enormous program — however extra particularly in mild of latest developments in Afghanistan, the AUKUS episode, and extra typically, what this says in regards to the trans-Atlantic relationship,” an EU official concerned within the assembly preparations mentioned. The official spoke anonymously in accordance with EU apply.

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Australia is buying U.S. nuclear-powered vessels as a substitute of the French submarines. The Australian authorities’s transfer has infuriated France, which is searching for clarification from Washington about its dedication to European allies. A number of EU member international locations have expressed solidarity with France.

Macron and U.S. President Joe Biden have mentioned the rift over the cellphone to ease tensions, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken is presently in Paris to attempt to restore the French authorities’s belief.


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The chief of the EU’s govt department, European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen spoke with Biden by cellphone on the eve of the summit. Von der Leyen mentioned they mentioned local weather change, protection, commerce, the Western Balkans and different geopolitical points.

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Macron is now calling on France’s EU allies to make use of the bloc’s shortcomings in Afghanistan and the fallout of AUKUS as a springboard for creating European protection capabilities whereas on the identical time strengthening ties with the U.S.

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EU Council President Charles Michel additionally advocates extra strategic autonomy by a partnership between the European Union and NATO.

The 27 leaders are additionally anticipated to reassess their relation with China, a theme they haven’t mentioned as a gaggle for over a 12 months. Since their final talks, the bloc adopted a large funding take care of Beijing but in addition authorized sanctions towards Chinese language officers over human rights abuses within the far western Xinjiang area.

“After one 12 months, on this world world, after we see tensions between the U.S. and China, we are going to make clear our place,” mentioned one other EU official who spoke anonymously.

The assembly is ready to happen with heightened safety as opponents of COVID-19 passes deliberate to carry demonstrations.




© 2021 The Canadian Press

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