As the United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union, the bloc is losing a pragmatical friend that was always clear in its economic agenda, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Frida
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st January, 2020) As the United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union, the bloc is losing a pragmatical friend that was always clear in its economic agenda, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.
"Well, within the union, we are losing a former member that was very pragmatical, very down-to-earth, very clear in the economic agenda. It was not always easy, but all 27 [member states] are not always easy. A friend and a member with whom we shared, as I said, a lot of history and a lot of experience. So, it's the choice of the British people to be on their own, and we respect it, but we will be their neighbors, and it's up to us now ... We want to negotiate the best possible agreement because if we look at the long term, we have so much in common," von der Leyen said at a joint press conference with European Parliament President David Sassoli and European Council President Charles Michel.
The UK will leave the EU on Friday at 23:00 GMT. It will then enter an 11-month transition period, during which the sides are to agree on the future cooperation, including the trade relations.
