DHAKA: French President Francois Hollande has brushed off stinging criticism of Germany's liberal migrant policy by US President-elect Donald Trump.

“[Europe] has no need for outside advice to tell it what it has to do,” Hollande said.

Trump had accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of “a catastrophic mistake” in allowing mass migration.

Merkel said the EU should decide for itself and US State Secretary John Kerry questioned Trump’s remark.

“I thought, frankly, it was inappropriate for a president-elect of the United States to be stepping into the politics of other countries in a quite direct manner,” he told CNN.

“He will have to speak for that. As of Friday [when Trump is   inaugurated as president] he is responsible for that relationship.”

Trump also caused alarm among Nato leaders by saying the alliance was ‘obsolete’, and he threatened German car makers with high import tariffs if they moved production to Mexico.

BDST: 1704 HRS, JAN 18, 2017
RY/BD