(ANSA-AP) - MUNICH - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is
defending European powers' decision to stand by the Iran nuclear
deal, describing it as an "anchor" allowing the West to exert
pressure. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence accused Germany, France
and Britain of trying to "break" American sanctions on Iran and
called on them to follow Washington in pulling out of the
nuclear deal. Merkel told the Munich Security Conference
Saturday the split over Iran "depresses me very much," but
downplayed the substance of the differences. She said: "I see
the ballistic missile program, I see Iran in Yemen and above all
I see Iran in Syria." But "the only question that stands between
us on this issue is, do we help our common cause, our common aim
of containing the damaging or difficult development of Iran, by
withdrawing from the one remaining agreement? Or do we help it
more by keeping the small anchor we have in order maybe to exert
pressure in other areas?"
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is calling on China to join
international disarmament negotiations after the collapse of a
Cold War-era treaty on nuclear weapons in Europe. The U.S.
earlier this month announced that it was pulling out of the 1987
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, accusing Russia of
violating it. Moscow followed suit, strongly denying any
breaches. The U.S. administration also worried that the pact was
an obstacle to efforts to counter intermediate-range missiles
deployed by China. Merkel told the Munich Security Conference
Saturday that the U.S. withdrawal was "inevitable" because of
Russian violations. But she noted the end of a treaty conceived
"essentially for Europe" leaves Europe trying to secure future
disarmament to protect its own interests.
Us Trade minister said european cars are a danger for national
security. That's scary for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as
she said in Munich. "We are proud of our cars". (ANSA-AP)
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