Britain, EU To Start Historic Brexit Talks

BRUSSELS, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Jun, 2017 ) - Britain starts formal talks to leave the EU on Monday, seeking a deal "like no other in history" despite entering fiendishly difficult negotiations with a badly weakened government.

A year after Britain's seismic referendum, Brexit minister David Davis and the European Union's French chief negotiator Michel Barnier will meet at the European Commission in Brussels. At stake in hugely complex talks that are expected to conclude by March 2019 is not just Britain's future but a western political order that would be badly shaken by a failure to reach a deal.

But the situation is very different from 12 months ago when the Brexiteers were riding high, with Prime Minister Theresa May's entire approach called into question after a disastrous election performance on June 8.

"While there is a long road ahead, our destination is clear -- a deep and special partnership between the UK and the EU. A deal like no other in history," Davis said in a statement as he headed into the talks.