EU leaders unable to agree summit statement as one country blocks

Reuters

28 June 2018 at 3:14 pm

European Council President Donald Tusk talks with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite as they attend an European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, June 28, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders failed to agree a summit statement on Thursday that sought to further the bloc's policy on a host of issues from defence to trade after one country blocked it, a spokesman for the summit's president said on Thursday.

"As one member reserved their position on the entire conclusions, no conclusions have been agreed at this stage," the spokesman for European Council President Donald Tusk said in a statement.

Diplomats said the country that was blocking was Italy.

Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also cancelled a news conference scheduled for Thursday evening.

(Reporting by Robin Emmott, Noah Barkin)

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