Ex-minister says Cameron will secure insignificant changes from EUJune 5, 2015 - 14:52 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - UK Prime Minister David Cameron will not achieve anything of significance in his planned renegotiation of Britain's ties with the European Union, former finance minister Nigel Lawson said, according to Reuters. Cameron, whose Conservatives won a surprise majority at an election last month, has begun talks with other European leaders in his bid to reform Britain's relationship with the bloc ahead of a membership referendum by the end of 2017. "It is likely that the changes David Cameron secures will be inconsequential, of no significance at all. He will present them as a major change," Lawson, finance minister from 1983-89 under Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, told the BBC. "He is looking for more than that but what he will secure will be trivial ... they are not going to give him anything significant," said Lawson, who has previously said Britain should leave the bloc. Cameron has said he would prefer to stay in a reformed EU but will rule nothing out if he cannot get the changes he wants. Lawson said he expected Britain would vote to remain within the bloc but would later lament doing so. "I think they will come to regret staying in because they will discover that there hasn’t been any fundamental change," he said. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |