LONDON, June 16, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said he believed post-Brexit trade talks could conclude by as early as next month, after a meeting with EU leaders.
Johnson stepped into the negotiations for the first time, holding a video-conference call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The two sides afterwards called for “new momentum” in the talks, which are at stalemate over key issues such as fishing rights and fair competition rules.
Britain, which left the bloc in January, is under pressure to give businesses more certainty about trading arrangements beyond December 31, when it stops abiding by EU rules.
A bullish Johnson said the two sides agreed to accelerate talks, and he had told his Brussels counterparts to “put a tiger in the tank”.
“I don’t think we are actually that far apart. What we need now is to see a bit of oomph in the negotiations,” he added.
“The faster we can do this, the better, and we see no reason why you shouldn’t get that done in July… I don’t want to see it (the talks) going on until the autumn, winter.”