EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have agreed on the importance of reaching an agreement on a post-Brexit trade deal.
The Downing Street said in a statement on Saturday that both parties have agreed that substantial progress has been made in the talks, however, some gaps still remain. To try to bridge the gaps, both the leaders have announced their negotiating teams to work intensively.
On Friday, the negotiations between the EU and the UK broke up without any agreement. Meanwhile, both sides are calling the other to compromise on key issues, including government subsidies and fishing rights.
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During a phone call on Saturday, Boris Johnson and Ursula agreed to speak on a regular basis. Moreover, Lord Frost, the UK chief negotiator, said that the work to resolve the differences between the European Union and Britain begins from the next week.
Earlier, while his visit to Leeds, Johnson said that he aims to secure a post-Brexit trade deal like the one struck between Canada and the UK. However, at the same time, he also said that the UK was ready to leave it without a deal, but it depends on our friends and partners.
When asked about the compromises that could be made from the Britain side, the PM said that as far as the balance of trade goes it is on the side of the EU because they export many more goods than the UK, especially in manufacturing.
Boris further pointed out that Canada was somewhat away, but it managed to sign a deal with the EU, while Britain remained the bloc’s biggest trading partner. However, referring to a no-deal outcome, where the country would have to follow the World Trade Organization’s rules, Boris said it was possible and would work better.
The European Union has maintained that it wants access to its boats in the UK’s fishing grounds and that reaching a fair deal is an important pre-condition of any potential deal. However, the British government has stated that they should first and foremost be for its boats.
