British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will hold talks Saturday to try to break the deadlock in post-Brexit trade deal negotiations as time runs short. The crunch phone call, set for late afternoon, follows UK and European Union envoys pausing last-ditch talks late Friday and acknowledging that the conditions for an agreement had not been met. EU Commission President von der Leyen was said to be in "constant contact" with member state leaders, and would be briefed by Barnier before the call. Bloc leaders will hold a summit on Thursday, by which time many expect to know whether reaching a Brexit deal is feasible. - 'Failure of statecraft' -Britain formally left the EU in January, nearly four years after a referendum on membership that divided the nation.

Source: Mint December 05, 2020 14:48 UTC