European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said the bloc stood ready to offer the United Kingdom a unique relationship after it exits the European Union but stressed that London will not be granted access to the single market.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th August, 2018) The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said the bloc stood ready to offer the United Kingdom a unique relationship after it exits the European Union but stressed that London will not be granted access to the single market.
"We are prepared to offer Britain a partnership such as there never has been with any other third country. We respect Britain's red lines scrupulously. In return, they must respect what we are. Single market means single market. There is no single market a la carte," Barnier said as quoted by The Telegraph after a meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Berlin on Wednesday.
UK Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab admitted on Wednesday that Brussels and London could fail to finalize the Brexit deal by the October deadline. He confirmed that the UK government was still committed to following the deadline and preparing the document by October despite the existing disagreements with Brussels and practically halted negotiation process.
The European Union and the United Kingdom have faced a number of thorny issues in their discussions of the departure terms, including the Irish border and customs arrangement.
The United Kingdom is set to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019.
