UK-EU to Continue Future Relationship Negotiations... "Will See If Agreement Is Possible"

About Two Weeks Left Until the End of the Transition Period... Differences in Positions Remain

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (left in the photo) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are taking a commemorative photo at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on the 9th.
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Union (EU) Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed on the 13th (local time) to continue negotiations on the future relationship following the deadlock over Brexit (the UK’s withdrawal from the EU). Although the day was originally set as the deadline for deciding on an agreement, due to the significant chaos that would result from a 'No Deal' scenario, they decided to try negotiating until the last moment.

According to BBC and other outlets, after a phone call on the morning of the 13th, Prime Minister Johnson and President von der Leyen released a joint statement confirming this. The statement said, "We had a helpful call this morning" and "discussed the major unresolved issues." It continued, "After nearly a year of negotiations and thorough review, despite several deadlines having passed, we believe we have a responsibility to make further efforts now," adding, "Accordingly, we have instructed our negotiation teams to continue talks to see if an agreement can be reached even at this late stage."

Earlier, when the two sides failed to narrow their differences on key negotiation issues, Johnson personally traveled to Brussels, Belgium on the 9th to hold a dinner meeting with President von der Leyen. Subsequently, both sides agreed to continue additional negotiations and decide on the future of the talks by the 13th. However, even after further negotiations, the two sides failed to close the gap, leading to speculation that a final announcement of negotiation breakdown might occur.

With only about two weeks left in the transition period, the decision to continue negotiations has drawn attention to whether a final agreement can be reached within the next few days. Currently, the two sides show significant differences on three main issues: fisheries, a level playing field, and governance for dispute resolution. Failure to reach an agreement by the end of the year would result in tariffs and other trade barriers, effectively creating a No Deal Brexit scenario.

However, the outlook for negotiations is not very positive. After the statement, Johnson indicated the possibility of a No Deal in an interview with Sky News, saying, "There are still significant differences on key issues in the current state." He added, "We will try. We will be as creative as possible," but emphasized, "We cannot compromise on the fundamentals of Brexit."

Johnson also revealed that he proposed direct talks with EU member state leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but the EU side did not accept this. Regarding a No Deal scenario, he stressed, "We have been preparing for four and a half years since the Brexit referendum," and "We have recently intensified our efforts. We are ready."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.