WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st January, 2020) The United States is hopeful that it will close out the most challenging issues on the bilateral trade deal with the United Kingdom by the end of summer, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview with Iain Dale of LBC Radio on Thursday.
"Both negotiating teams will want to preserve things for their own country. That's how negotiations work," Pompeo said. "That shouldn't trouble any of us when there are hard stops, when there are difficult points along the way. We're committed to working on this as quickly as we can. I don't want to put a timeline on it. It'll take a little bit, but I hope by the end of this year or the late summer or early fall, we have a substantial piece of progress and we can begin to close out the most difficult issues."
Pompeo acknowledged that the negotiations process will be complicated and at times contentious, but noted that the United States team is committed to completing it.
"I know the United Kingdom team is getting ready to go. It's why I wanted to be here today to be the starting gun not only on the trade negotiations, but on all of the other files that our two countries work on together," Pompeo said.
Asked about changes in the "special relationship" between the two countries after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, Pompeo said, "It's a great relationship, but I wanted to be here on this very special day."
Pompeo noted that the bilateral relationship has been great for a long time, but added he believes the two countries will be able to do even more regardless of whether in the area of security, economics, or regarding diplomatic things Washington and London work on across the world."
"We now have a United Kingdom that is free from some of the constraints that were [placed] upon them as a result of being a member in the European Union, and I am very confident that the United States and the United Kingdom will continue to build out what has been a historic relationship and one that has delivered good outcomes for people of both of our countries," Pompeo concluded.
The United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union on Friday night. A transition period will extend upon the next 11 months for the two sides to settle the pending issues in their future relations.
