Merkel says Swiss-EU talks should be separate from Brexit.

Record ID: 80489

  • Title: Merkel says Swiss-EU talks should be separate from Brexit.
  • Date: 2nd November 2016
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 2, 2016) (REUTERS) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL GREETING SWISS PRESIDENT JOHANN SCHNEIDER-AMMANN GUARD OF HONOUR MERKEL AND SCHNEIDER- AMMANN TALKING AND WALKING PAST CAMERA GUARD OF HONOUR MERKEL AND SCHNEIDER-AMMANN WALKING UP TO PODIUM SWISS, GERMAN AND EUROPEAN FLAGS
  • Embargoed: 17th November 2016 14:26
  • Keywords: Switzerland Germany Merkel Schneider-Ammann Brexit single market
  • Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • City: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA00156R4ABR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday (November 2) that European Union talks with Switzerland on the free movement of people should not be linked in any way to the negotiations with Great Britain over its exit from the EU.
    "If I tried to put myself in the shoes of a Swiss citizen, I wouldn't be pleased if it was suddenly cast in a new light because of another decision in another country," Merkel told a news conference in Berlin alongside Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann.
    "That's why we should conduct these talks with Switzerland as if the Great Britain issue never existed. I can only say that the German position hasn't changed with Great Britain's decision. These are two completely different issues," she added.
    The meeting between Merkel and Economy Minister and President Johann Schneider-Amman comes as Swiss voters look set to decide for a second time whether to impose curbs on immigration from the European Union or reaffirm close economic ties with the bloc after the government the issue deserved another referendum.
    Swiss voters decided narrowly in 2014 to cap all immigration, including from EU countries.
    The debate in non-EU member Switzerland mirrors in many ways the situation in Britain, where voters decided in June to quit the EU as a way to control immigration that critics said was putting too much of a strain on social infrastructure.
    Losing EU bilateral accords may cut output by as much as 7 percent of GDP by 2035, and business leaders decry the impact on finding qualified staff. Still, the EU's faltering reputation could make such a vote a close call.
    Switzerland isn't a member of the 28-nation bloc, but enjoys close ties with it.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register