LONDON: Boris Johnson has said his controversial legislation to override parts of his Brexit deal is needed to end EU threats to install a “blockade” in the Irish Sea.

The Prime Minister said Brussels could “carve up our country” and “seriously endanger peace and stability” in Northern Ireland if Conservative MPs rebel to block his Bill. Johnson is working to quell a plan to amend the legislation from senior Tories who are incensed that it could break international law by flouting the Withdrawal Agreement.

The EU criticised the plan as a serious breach of trust that jeopardises peace in Northern Ireland and has threatened legal action if ministers do not alter the UK Internal Market Bill by the end of the month. But the Prime Minister has doubled down and argued it is “crucial for peace and for the Union itself” and said voting it down would reduce the chances of a trade deal with the EU.

Writing in the Telegraph, Johnson said the EU would use an “extreme interpretation” of the Northern Ireland Protocol to impose “a full-scale trade border down the Irish sea” that could stop the transport of food from Britain to Northern Ireland.

“I have to say that we never seriously believed that the EU would be willing to use a treaty, negotiated in good faith, to blockade one part of the UK, to cut it off; or that they would actually threaten to destroy the economic and territorial integrity of the UK,” he added. Johnson said that “in the last few weeks” he learned his negotiators had discovered there “may be a serious misunderstanding about the terms” of the Withdrawal Agreement he signed in October.

He argued it was agreed during “torrid” days with the deadline for a deal fast approaching while “negotiating with one hand tied behind our back” because Parliament blocked a no-deal. “If we fail to pass this Bill, or if we weaken its protections, then we will in fact reduce the chances of getting that Canada-style deal,” he wrote.

“Let’s remove this danger to the very fabric of the United Kingdom. Let’s make the EU take their threats off the table. And let’s get this Bill through, back up our negotiators, and protect our country.” Both Ireland and the EU, however, have warned that Johnson’s plans pose a serious risk to the peace process rather than protecting the Good Friday Agreement.

The Prime Minister on Friday evening held a conference call with around 250 MPs to try and drum up support for the Bill, and warned them against a return to the “miserable, squabbling days of last autumn”. But during the call in which there were connection issues and no questions taken by Mr Johnson further fall-out emerged from the EU. Leaders in the European Parliament said they would “under no circumstances ratify” any trade deal reached if “UK authorities breach or threaten to breach” the Withdrawal Agreement.

Johnson appeared not to have ended the disquiet within his party during the call, with senior backbencher Sir Bob Neill saying he was not reassured by the speech. Sir Bob, who chairs the Commons Justice Committee and is tabling an amendment to the Bill which he says would impose a “parliamentary lock” on any changes to the Withdrawal Agreement, said he still contends it contains “objectionable” elements.

“I believe it is potentially a harmful act for this country, it would damage our reputation and I think it will make it harder to strike trade deals going forward,” he told Channel 4 News.

Amid the worsening atmosphere between London and Brussels, it emerged the EU had even raised the prospect that it could block exports of animal products from the UK once the current Brexit transition period comes to a close at the end of the year.

In a statement following the latest round of talks on Thursday, the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said there were “many uncertainties” about the UK’s animal hygiene regime. He said “more clarity” was needed if Britain was to receive the “third-country listing” entitling it to export animal products to the EU.

Meanwhile, Gordon Brown joined fellow former prime ministers Theresa May and Sir John Major in condemning the government’s plan, describing it as “a huge act of self-harm”.

On Friday, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain officially agreed to recognize the State of Israel in a trilateral phone conversation with US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The EU welcomes the announced establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Israel,” the statement, released by the European Council, read.

Brussels acknowledged the role of the United States in facilitating this and a similar landmark agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, describing it as a “positive contribution to peace and stability in the Middle East.”

“The EU recalls its Declaration of 15 August 2020 and its longstanding position that a comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict requires a regional inclusive approach and engagement with both parties. In this regard, the EU remains firm in its commitment to a negotiated and viable two-state solution built upon the internationally agreed parameters,” the statement added.

The European Union reasserted its readiness to support Israel and Palestine in their efforts to resume “meaningful negotiations on all final status issues.”

Bahrain became the fourth Arab country to recognize Israel. The first two were Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.

On 13 August, Israel and the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize ties, which among other things entailed Israel giving up its annexation plans in the West Bank. The two countries are planning to sign a variety of agreements for cooperation in investments, tourism, security and other areas in the coming weeks. The US expects other countries of the region to follow the lead.

Palestine has called on fellow Arab nations to reconsider recognizing Israel, which, in turn, has not recognized the Palestinian state.

The United Nations stands by the so-called two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which means a peaceful coexistence of two sovereign states within mutually acceptable borders.

PARIS — The UN secretary general urged European Union members on Saturday to take in thousands of migrants and asylum seekers who have been left homeless and destitute in Greece after a devastating blaze at a camp.

The Moria facility on the Greek island of Lesbos, which previously housed up to 12,000 people, was destroyed overnight on Tuesday after an apparent arson attack by migrants who have long complained about conditions there.

“It’s an immense tragedy,” UN chief Antonio Guterres told French channel TV5monde in an interview broadcast on Saturday. “In my opinion the only solution is transferring these refugees to the continent and I hope there will be European solidarity.”

The former Portuguese prime minister continued: “You can’t expect the country [Greece] on the frontline to resolve everything. There needs to be shared responsibility within the European Union.”

Tensions rose on Lesbos on Saturday after hundreds of asylum seekers protested after a third night of sleeping rough in doorways and by roads.

Police fired teargas when some of them began throwing stones, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

Efforts in the past to create a quota system for refugees in the EU, which would have seen all members agree to take in migrants from frontline countries such as Greece and Italy, have foundered due to divisions.

Right-wing governments in many member states, particularly in Poland and Hungary, refused to sign up to the scheme.

Ten European Union member states have agreed to take in a total of 400 unaccompanied minors from Lesbos, but rights groups say the response so far has been insufficient.

Guterres welcomed a Franco-German initiative to distribute the minors, but said “we need to go further.”

Iranian Ambassador to Brussels Ghoamhossein Dehghani submitted his credentials to the President of the European Council Charles Michel on Saturday.

He had presented his credentials to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen three weeks ago.

During the meeting, both sides conferred on various fields including the latest development regarding JCPOA and the necessity to preserve and implement the Nuclear Deal by the Security Council and the JCPOA participants, countering US illegal actions, regional developments, the role of the Islamic Republic in the fight against terrorism, Iran’s readiness to cooperate with regional countries and the EU, and expanding bilateral economic relations.

Charles Michel further emphasized preserving and implementing the Nuclear Deal and stressed the importance of relations between Iran and the EU, noting that friendly regionals ties can ensure peace and security which is also beneficial for the European Union.

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THE Anambra State Government in partnership with EU/WHO organised a stakeholders workshop on Public Finance Management Reform, PFMR, guidelines and scoping assessment finding agenda.

The objective of the workshop is to engage the ministry of health and the stakeholders to come up with regular communication and exchange in PFMR activities.

It was also to update on the current PFMR situation in the state ministry of health and consensus on the PFMR situation, including current budget process, capacity building and the electronic systems to adopt.

Vincent Okpala, commissioner for health, said the workshop was aimed at ensuring that stakeholders understood Public Finance Management Reforms for effective healthcare delivery.

“The objective of the PFMR is to strengthen and to improve the efficiency of public health financing in the state through Public Finance Management Reforms, including Programme Based Budgeting, PBB.’’

The idea of the workshop, which was held in Awka was to create a replicable model of PFMR in the health sector and strengthen the existing public finance management system in a more coordinated manner to meet the fiscal and financial policy challenges.

Okpala noted that in 2017, the state government established State Health Insurance Agency, which had been adjudged the best in Nigeria and the efforts are geared toward achieving Universal Health Coverage for people of the state.

He noted that the State Health Financing was one of the six building blocks of the Health System Strengthening, HSS, project and had many areas of which PFMR was the key priority area.

“In 2015, the President signed Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with EU to be implemented by WHO and to strengthen the health system under the HSS project, which is part of the effort to achieve Universal Health Coverage,’’ he said.

According to him, Nigeria is currently not on track in achieving Universal Health Coverage, UHC.

“The sub-optimal performance of Nigeria’s Health System can be attributed to poor financing of the required investment for delivery and management of health sector.

“EU/WHO, through the State Ministry of Health has started the implementation and the alignment of the Public Finance Management Reform for health in the state.

“A Desk review has been conducted on this by the consultant appointed by WHO of which stakeholders here has been part of the review,’’ he added.

The State Coordinator of WHO, Chukwumuanya Igboekwu, said the workshop was geared toward achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Igboekwu said that the EU/WHO partnership had started to yield positive results.

He assured that the EU/WHO would continue to support the state through the HSS project.

The participants included the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mark Okoye, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Simeon Onyemaechi.