Latest news with #MaximePrevot
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Belgium wants NATO flexibility following Spain's ‘noisy' outburst
BRUSSELS: Belgium on Monday said it was seeking 'maximum flexibility' from NATO on ramped-up defence spending targets to be agreed at a summit this week after fellow laggard Spain insisted it had won an exception. Madrid said on Sunday it would not need to hit the five percent of GDP demanded by US President Donald Trump, setting up a potential clash at a two-day gathering starting on Tuesday in The Hague. On Monday Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot told local media that while Brussels had to show 'willingness to get back in line' after years of underspending, the target was beyond its 'budgetary reach'. 'We may not have done so by making a noisy statement like Spain, but I can assure you that for weeks our diplomats have been working hard to obtain the flexibility mechanisms... that could help to lighten the burden of the Belgian effort,' he told RTBF radio. 'We're asking for maximum flexibility'. Under a deal greenlit by NATO countries Sunday, allies promise to reach 3.5 percent on core military needs over the next decade, and spend 1.5 percent on a looser category of 'defence-related' expenditures such as infrastructure and cybersecurity. The pledge is seen as key both to satisfying Trump -- who has threatened not to protect allies spending too little -- and helping NATO build up the forces it needs to deter Russia. Multiple diplomats at NATO said the agreement -- set to be unveiled at the summit -- had gone through with the approval of all 32 nations and that there was no exemption for Madrid. But Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez contended he had struck an accord that would see his country keep respecting its commitments 'without having to raise our defence spending to five percent of gross domestic product'. The centre-left leader later posted online a letter from NATO chief Mark Rutte confirming the agreement 'will give Spain the flexibility to determine its own sovereign path' for reaching the alliance's military capability requirements. But a NATO diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity Monday said there was 'no opt-out'. 'It is always the case that Allies have the sovereign right to determine how they'll deliver on their commitments,' the diplomat told AFP. Belgium, like Spain, has been one of the lowest-spending NATO countries on defence in relative terms. It currently spends 1.3 percent of GDP on defence, well below the current target of two percent that the government has pledged to reach.
Arab News
19-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
EU countries seek ban on trade with illegal zones of Israel
BRUSSELS: Nine European Union countries have called on the European Commission to come up with proposals on how to discontinue EU trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday. The letter, addressed to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, was signed by foreign ministers from Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The EU is Israel's biggest trading partner, accounting about a third of its total goods trade. Two-way goods trade between the bloc and Israel stood at 42.6 billion euros ($48.91 billion) last year, though it was unclear how much of that trade involved settlements. The ministers pointed to a July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there are illegal. It said states should take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that help maintain the situation. 'We have not seen a proposal to initiate discussions on how to effectively discontinue trade of goods and services with the illegal settlements,' the ministers wrote. 'We need the European Commission to develop proposals for concrete measures to ensure compliance by the Union with the obligations identified by the Court,' they added. Israel's diplomatic mission to the EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Europe must ensure trade policy is in line with international law. 'Trade cannot be disconnected from our legal and moral responsibilities,' the minister said in a statement to Reuters. 'This is about ensuring that EU policies do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to the perpetuation of an illegal situation,' he said. The ministers' letter comes ahead of a meeting in Brussels on June 23 where EU foreign ministers are set to discuss the bloc's relationship with Israel. Ministers are expected to receive an assessment on whether Israel is complying with a human rights clause in a pact governing its political and economic ties with Europe, after the bloc decided to review Israel's adherence to the agreement due to the situation in Gaza.
Asharq Al-Awsat
19-06-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
9 EU Countries Call for Talks on Ending Trade with Israeli Settlements
Nine European Union countries have called on the European Commission to come up with proposals on how to discontinue EU trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday. The letter, addressed to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, was signed by foreign ministers from Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The EU is Israel's biggest trading partner, accounting about a third of its total goods trade. Two-way goods trade between the bloc and Israel stood at 42.6 billion euros ($48.91 billion) last year, though it was unclear how much of that trade involved settlements. The ministers pointed to a July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there are illegal. It said states should take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that help maintain the situation. "We have not seen a proposal to initiate discussions on how to effectively discontinue trade of goods and services with the illegal settlements," the ministers wrote. "We need the European Commission to develop proposals for concrete measures to ensure compliance by the Union with the obligations identified by the Court," they added. Israel's diplomatic mission to the EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Europe must ensure trade policy is in line with international law. "Trade cannot be disconnected from our legal and moral responsibilities," the minister said in a statement to Reuters. "This is about ensuring that EU policies do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to the perpetuation of an illegal situation," he said. The ministers' letter comes ahead of a meeting in Brussels on June 23 where EU foreign ministers are set to discuss the bloc's relationship with Israel. Ministers are expected to receive an assessment on whether Israel is complying with a human rights clause in a pact governing its political and economic ties with Europe, after the bloc decided to review Israel's adherence to the agreement due to the situation in Gaza.
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First Post
19-06-2025
- Business
- First Post
Nine EU countries urge bloc to end trade with Israeli settlements
Nine European Union countries have called on the European Commission to come up with proposals on how to discontinue EU trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday. read more A group of nine European Union member states has urged the European Commission to propose measures that would halt trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters on Thursday. The request was made in a formal letter addressed to the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, and signed by the foreign ministers of Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The European Union remains Israel's largest trading partner, accounting for roughly one-third of its total trade in goods. In 2024, bilateral goods trade between the EU and Israel reached €42.6 billion (approximately $48.91 billion), though the extent of commerce involving products from settlements was not specified. The ministers cited a July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which concluded that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories violate international law. The ICJ further advised that states must avoid trade or investment practices that could sustain such illegal activities. The letter represents a growing push within the EU to align trade practices with international legal standards amid heightened scrutiny of Israel's actions in the occupied territories. 'We have not seen a proposal to initiate discussions on how to effectively discontinue trade of goods and services with the illegal settlements,' the ministers wrote. 'We need the European Commission to develop proposals for concrete measures to ensure compliance by the Union with the obligations identified by the Court,' they added. Israel's diplomatic mission to the EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Europe must ensure trade policy is in line with international law. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Trade cannot be disconnected from our legal and moral responsibilities,' the minister said in a statement to Reuters. 'This is about ensuring that EU policies do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to the perpetuation of an illegal situation,' he said. The ministers' letter comes ahead of a meeting in Brussels on June 23 where EU foreign ministers are set to discuss the bloc's relationship with Israel. Ministers are expected to receive an assessment on whether Israel is complying with a human rights clause in a pact governing its political and economic ties with Europe, after the bloc decided to review Israel's adherence to the agreement due to the situation in Gaza. With inputs from agencies
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nine EU countries call for talks on ending trade with Israeli settlements
By Lili Bayer BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Nine European Union countries have called on the European Commission to come up with proposals on how to discontinue EU trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday. The letter, addressed to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, was signed by foreign ministers from Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The EU is Israel's biggest trading partner, accounting about a third of its total goods trade. Two-way goods trade between the bloc and Israel stood at 42.6 billion euros ($48.91 billion) last year, though it was unclear how much of that trade involved settlements. The ministers pointed to a July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there are illegal. It said states should take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that help maintain the situation. "We have not seen a proposal to initiate discussions on how to effectively discontinue trade of goods and services with the illegal settlements," the ministers wrote. "We need the European Commission to develop proposals for concrete measures to ensure compliance by the Union with the obligations identified by the Court," they added. Israel's diplomatic mission to the EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Europe must ensure trade policy is in line with international law. "Trade cannot be disconnected from our legal and moral responsibilities," the minister said in a statement to Reuters. "This is about ensuring that EU policies do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to the perpetuation of an illegal situation," he said. The ministers' letter comes ahead of a meeting in Brussels on June 23 where EU foreign ministers are set to discuss the bloc's relationship with Israel. Ministers are expected to receive an assessment on whether Israel is complying with a human rights clause in a pact governing its political and economic ties with Europe, after the bloc decided to review Israel's adherence to the agreement due to the situation in Gaza. ($1 = 0.8710 euros)
