UK, EU Leaders To Hold Call In Bid For Brexit Breakthrough

UK, EU leaders to hold call in bid for Brexit breakthrough

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will hold talks Saturday to try to break the deadlock in post-Brexit trade deal negotiations as time runs short

London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Dec, 2020 ) :British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will hold talks Saturday to try to break the deadlock in post-Brexit trade deal negotiations as time runs short.

The crunch phone call, set for late afternoon, follows UK and European Union envoys pausing last-ditch talks late Friday and acknowledging that the conditions for an agreement had not been met.

In a joint statement, top British negotiator David Frost and his European counterpart Michel Barnier said "significant divergences" remained over several key issues that have stalled talks since the summer.

Pressure is growing on both sides to strike a deal with just weeks left until the 11-month Brexit transition period ends on December 31.

A deal is seen as essential to avoid deep disruption on both sides -- but especially in Britain -- to economies already damaged by the coronavirus pandemic.

EU Commission President von der Leyen was said to be in "constant contact" with member state leaders, and would be briefed by Barnier before the call.

The EU's chief negotiator told reporters in London ahead of his return to Brussels that his team would "keep calm, as always".

"If there is still a way, we will see," he added.

Johnson and von der Leyen last spoke on November 7, but a month later Britain and the bloc remain divided over so-called level playing field provisions, governance and fisheries.

A European source told AFP on Friday of "serious difficulties" at this crucial late stage in the process, while UK government sources told British media outlets the EU side was making "completely unrealistic" demands.

Johnson may also try to speak with other European leaders over the weekend, including French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the Financial Times.

Bloc leaders will hold a summit on Thursday, by which time many expect to know whether reaching a Brexit deal is feasible.

"I would expect instructions for the negotiators to finish the talks in a couple of days. But a breakdown also has a considerable chance," another European source said.