May gambles on last-minute softer Brexit deal; US and ROK prepare for Trump-Moon summit; 21st China-EU leaders' meeting will be held; Trump to host Egypt's Sisi, and seven-phase Indian elections to begin.
These are the international events under the spotlight for the week starting April 8.
May gambles on last-minute softer Brexit deal
British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during a Prime Ministers Questions in the British House of Commons in London, Britain, April 3, 2019. [Photo/IC]
The UK only has until April 12 to propose a way forward on Brexit to the EU; if not, Britain risks crashing out of the EU without a deal.
Originally, the UK's divorce from the EU had been planned for March 29.
The lower house of the British parliament on Wednesday approved legislation which would force Prime Minister Theresa May to seek a Brexit delay to prevent a potentially disorderly departure on April 12 without a deal.
May said she would seek another short extension to Brexit beyond April 12, in order to try and work with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to get her thrice-rejected Brexit deal approved by parliament.
The new talks were greeted with caution by EU officials, who previously said they would need strong reasons to extend the 12 April deadline further.
"Even if, after today, we don't know what the end result will be, let us be patient," EU Council president Donald Tusk said.
US and ROK prepare for Trump-Moon summit
ROK President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with US President Donald Trump after they signed the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, US, Sep 24, 2018. [Photo/Agencies]
The Republic of Korea (ROK) President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to visit Washington from April 10 to 11.
He and President Donald Trump are expected to focus on ways to revive nuclear talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the US, and progress toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Pyongyang and Washington have shown their determination to continue the dialogue by managing situations stably so as not to increase tensions, as seen in the past. Moon said earlier this week.
The Korean Peninsula's peace process would become a journey, taken jointly by the two Koreas and the United States, that would not be easy, he added.
21st China-EU leaders' meeting will be held in Brussels
Premier Li Keqiang will attend the 21st China-EU leaders' meeting in Brussels and the 8th China-Central and Eastern European Countries leaders' meeting in Croatia after making an official visit to the country, from April 8 to 12.
European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will co-host the China-EU leaders' meeting. The premier will hold talks with both of them. It will be Li's fifth time attending the annual event.
China and the EU, which share common stances over multilateralism and free trade, will sign a number of agreements to boost ties in energy and other fields.
Li's visit is also set to boost cooperation with the regional bloc in major regional and international issues such as climate change and sustainable development, and to strengthen coordination in World Trade Organization reform and the G20.
Trump to host Egypt's Sisi
US President Donald Trump is seen during a bilateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York, US, Sep 24, 2018. [Photo/IC]
US President Donald Trump will host his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the White House on April 9 to discuss military, economic and counterterrorism cooperation between their countries.
The two leaders will also discuss developments and shared priorities in the region, including enhancing regional economic integration and addressing ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
Sisi's visit comes two weeks after President Trump signed an order recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a decision over which most United Nations Security Council members on Wednesday expressed regret.
The meeting at the White House will take place on the eve of Israel's national elections.
Indian elections begin April 11
A woman presses a button on an Electronic Voting Machine next to the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail during a demonstration of machines by Indian election officials in New Delhi, India, March 29, 2019.[Photo/IC]
India's seven-phase general elections will begin April 11 and end May 19.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party hopes for a second term, while the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress' President Rahul Gandhi, will also be contesting, with promises of an income subsidy program for the poorest families and for farmers.
A total of 900 million voters will be casting ballots across the country, as compared to 816 million voters in the last general election held in 2014.
