NZ LEADER SAYS NATION CHANGED AFTER ATTACKS Brexit trade deal: EU negotiator’s ‘ambitious’ draft

Christchurch, March 13: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Friday that New Zealanders have become more engaged with the Muslim community in the year since a gunman killed 51 people at two mosques.

Ardern was in Christchurch attending events to mark the anniversary of last year’s March 15 massacre, which she has described as one of New Zealand’s darkest days.

On Friday she attended a special joint prayer with members of both mosques that were attacked, and on Sunday she plans to attend a national memorial.

Among those speaking during the prayer service was Al Noor mosque survivor Farid Ahmed, whose wife Husna was killed in the attacks. “Hate does not achieve any gain for the hater, or for anyone,” he said afterward. “If there are any differences, there is another way, and that way is the peaceful way. We should talk, we should dialogue, we should ask one another questions, and we should not be afraid of one another.”

Ardern said people had told her they had visited mosques for the first time in the wake of the attacks and had found themselves more openly discussing differences of faith. “A year on, I believe New Zealand and its people have fundamentally changed. I can’t see how you could have an event like this and not,” Ardern said.

“But the challenge for us will be ensuring that in our everyday actions — and in every opportunity where we see bullying, harassment, racism, discrimination — calling it out as a nation.”

— AP

Brussels, March 13: Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier said Friday that he had sent an “ambitious” draft of what could be a new postBrexit trade deal with Britain to EU capitals.

Next week’s face-to-face round of EU-UK negotiations in London has been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but both sides are keen to press on.

There is also, for some officials, an unspoken race to publish a comprehensive draft proposal as both sides seek to gain the initiative in a tricky months-long negotiation.

“We’ve sent a draft agreement on new partnership to EP & Council for discussion,” Barnier tweeted, referring to the European Parliament and the member states. “It shows ambitious & comprehensive future relationship is possible. We must give ourselves every chance of success,” he said.

“We will publish the text after our exchanges & look forward to working with UK.” Some in Brussels are pushing for Barnier to put out Europe's vision of a close working relationship with Britain under a deal to guarantee a “level playing field” for businesses.

But some member states oppose this, arguing that Brussels should wait to see Britain’s proposal for a simple trade deal with no promise of alignment with EU rules.

“Publishing the draft is not usual practice at this stage. It will only show that the EU and UK are on different tracks,” one

We’ve sent a draft agreement on new partnership to EP & Council for discussion, It shows ambitious & comprehensive future relationship is possible. We must give ourselves every chance of success

— MICHEL BARNIER, Chief EU negotiator

European diplomat said.

“Barnier thinks it will show advantage but it doesn’t. It will show that what we have is fundamentally different than what they have. If we do, doing so before the UK is especially not wise.”

Britain and the EU want to conclude some kind of new trading arrangement by the end of the year, when a post-Brexit transition ends and European trade rules no longer apply. Many business on both sides of the Channel are keen for a close relationship to continue, with matching rules, to minimise disruption to supply chains.

But Prime Minister Boris Johnson insists Brexit means future ties with be those between “sovereign equals”, with Britain prepared to pay a price for the right to set its own laws. In Brussels, officials are far from confident that a deal can be done in time. “Each side wants to show their domestic audience how ambitious they are to get the deal done by the the end of the year,” the diplomat said. — AFP