MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2019) The European Union and the United Kingdom should do everything possible to avoid a "big crash" during the country's upcoming withdrawal from the bloc, and should extend the withdrawal period to ensure a smooth Brexit, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said Tuesday.
"The EU and the United Kingdom can and must prevent the big crash in the last few meters, because thousands of jobs are at stake! If necessary, by a sufficient extension of the withdrawal period," Altmaier said.
Germany exports many goods, especially industrial goods and cars, to the United Kingdom, and may suffer some losses, he noted.
However, the German government has prepared intensively for any scenario, he added.
The UK government and Brussels have reached a divorce deal late last year but UK parliament refuses to back the agreement and cannot agree on any alternative measures. The country was supposed to have left the bloc on March 29 but missed the deadline, and the European Union gave London until April 12 to come up with an alternative solution or leave without a deal on that same day.
