Home>News Center>World
         
 

Upbeat Blair to hold budget talks with EU newcomers
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-11-28 08:55

British Prime Minister Tony Blair will hold budget talks with EU newcomer states in visits to Estonia and Hungary later this week, his spokesman has announced, citing "gathering momentum" for a deal.

Blair, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, will visit Tallinn and Budapest on Thursday and Friday as he battles to strike a deal on the bloc's 2007-2013 budget at a mid-December summit.

The 10 countries which joined the EU last year are particularly pushing for a deal, since it will release much-needed funds to help their relatively poor countries catch up with western Europe.

"We believe we are at a significant time," said the official spokesman, confirming Blair's travel plans as he arrived in Barcelona to co-host a summit of the 25-nation EU's leaders with their Mediterranean-rim counterparts.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair (L) gestures to Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (R) during a bilateral meeting at the Euro-Mediterranean summit in central Barcelona November 27, 2005. Leaders of 35 European and Mediterranean countries began a two-day summit in Barcelona on Sunday.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair (L) gestures to Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero (R) during a bilateral meeting at the Euro-Mediterranean summit in central Barcelona November 27, 2005. Leaders of 35 European and Mediterranean countries began a two-day summit in Barcelona on Sunday. [Reuters]
In Tallinn, Blair will meet with the three Baltic EU newcomers: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, while in Budapest he will hold talks with the Visegrad countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

"We are going to go for a deal," said the spokesman, adding: "What is important is that there is a gathering momentum in terms of everybody having to step up to the plate."

The budget standoff is blocked in particular by Britain's refusal to give ground on its long-cherished EU rebate, as well as French resistance to reform of the bloc's generous farm aid system, of which France is the main recipient.

EU foreign ministers are to hold a special conclave on December 7 in a bid to break the budget deadlock ahead of a December 15-16 summit in Brussels.

The British EU presidency is due to make new budget proposals for the conclave.

The British government spokesman added that Blair is also due to travel to Kiev on Thursday for an EU-Ukraine summit.



Election cast shadow on Canada aboriginal goals
Protest against alleged Bush bombing plan
Ukraine marks 'orange revolution' anniversary
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Coal mine blast traps at least 160 in Heilongjiang

 

   
 

Abuse of Chinese women spark uproar

 

   
 

China mulls cutting big surplus in trade

 

   
 

Japanese minister raps China over shrine

 

   
 

Scared residents camp out in open in Jiangxi

 

   
 

Water supply restored to parts of Harbin

 

   
  Saddam trial to resume; Clark arrives
   
  Allawi: Iraq abuses as bad as under Saddam
   
  Top Sri Lanka rebel issues ultimatum
   
  Zimbabwe: Early results show Mugabe's party wins
   
  Chavez applauds Spain for 'resisting' US on arms
   
  Upbeat Blair to hold budget talks with EU newcomers
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
  Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement