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BUSINESSTODAY 17 October 2019

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17.10.19 3 CYBER SECURITY #SUMMIT2019 THE FIRST EDITION 23.10.2019 cybersummit.mt NEWS FROM PAGE 1 e EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier indicated to European Commissioner president Jean-Claude Juncker's team on Wednesday that a deal could be reached before the two- day summit. Under the agreement being negotiat- ed, the Good Friday Agreement would be preserved and there would not be any border checks between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Effectively, a border would be drawn and enforced in the Irish sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK – with controls established at British ports instead of on the Irish isle. There is hope no-deal Brexit will be averted – Edward Zammit Lewis In comments to BusinessToday yester- day afternoon, as talks were still ongo- ing, European Affairs minister Edward Zammit Lewis said that there was hope that a deal would be reached and a no- deal Brexit would be averted. Despite this, Malta was still strength- ening its readiness for every eventuality, he said. "On Tuesday, I attended a ministers' council, together with other EU minis- ters, where Michael Barnier gave us a summary of the developments till then. Since then, more progress has been reg- istered," Zammit Lewis said. Illustrating the dynamic at play, Zam- mit Lewis said that "on the one hand there is the issue of the Irish backstop, concerning customs and the arrange- ment regarding Northern Ireland and the UK, and Northern Ireland and Ire- land as a member state. is is a histor- ical point of contention related to the Good Friday Agreement. On the other hand, the EU and its member states are being cautious to safeguard the integri- ty of the Single Market and free move- ment." Safeguarding the Common Market was important to ensure the EU re- mained competitive with other eco- nomic giants such as the US, Japan, and China, he underlined. "In the last few hours, UK negotiators have been discussing the agreement on a technical level, in terms of the legal text. A European Council meeting is scheduled for ursday, and EU leaders will have to decide on any agreement reached. Every scenario remains possi- ble," he said. "e first possible scenario is that an arrangement is reached by ursday, which would be the best outcome. Mal- ta has always insisted that this would be preferable. In such a case, 31 October would be the date of the UK's withdraw- al from the EU." "If no agreement is reached by urs- day, but a deal is agreed to by 31 Oc- tober, then the UK would request an extension to allow time for ratification and agreement on the final points. is would be an extension with a purpose to get things done after an agreement is reached, and would take place within the context of the Benn Act, a British law which forces Boris Johnson to ask for an extension if not agreement is fi- nalised by 19 October. "e third scenario would be a no- deal Brexit, which is the outcome we desire least." Malta's preparations Asked how these developments fit in with Malta's preparations for Brexit, the minister said that the country had been preparing for all possibilities, but had been bracing and readying itself especially for the possibility of a no-deal withdrawal. "In such a case, the UK would become a third-country, like other non-EU countries, and we'd have to deal with Britain differently in terms of customs and other areas. We've made the nec- essary arrangements to prepare for any eventuality, and the government is striving to ensure there is the least in- convenience for Malta." "We hope – and there are indications – that this won't be necessary, but we remain true to our motto of Brexit: Be prepared," the minister added. Malta prepared for any Brexit outcome - minister "We've made the necessary arrangements to prepare for any eventuality, and the government is striving to ensure there is the least inconvenience for Malta" EU Affairs minister Edward Zammit Lewis

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