The European Union is ready to deepen its cooperation with the United States, but United States must abandon its unpredictable policy led by President Donald Trump. This became known by the statements of the Presidents of the European Council Donald Tusk and the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker after the EU-Western Balkans Summit today in Sofia.
At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Tusk and Junker covered the topics of the Iranian nuclear deal (JCPOA), trade with the US and the perspective of the Western Balkans. According to Tusk’s words, the EU will maintain the deal with Iran, while Iran is fully committed to it.
“The European Commission has given a green light for action if our interests are affected”, he said. “We are ready to talk about liberalising trade with our American friends, but only if the US decides unilaterally to exclude us for the duties on steel and aluminum”, added Tusk.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that while the Iranians respect their commitment, the EU will also stick to the arrangement, that is originally drafted by the EU itself.
“The declared American sanctions will not remain without effect, we in the European Commission have the task of protecting our European businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises”, he added. Junked added that the proposals of the European Commission for consideration by the European Council were followed by the heads of states.
“We must act now, and we are therefore starting a process of returning the 1996 regulation on extraterritorial sanctions in the EU, we must do so and we must not wait”, Juncker said, adding that the European Commission will continue to cooperate with Iran. For trade between the US and the EU, he commented: “We want unlimited exclusion from the proposed tariff measures.
“We are ready to discuss the reform of the World Trade Organization together with the US and, provided that these exclusions are constant, we are ready to discuss how to improve the access to the market for industrial products, including the liberalisation of government procurement. We will not negotiate with the sword of Damocles hanging over our heads, it is a question of dignity”, Juncker stressed.
