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Original title: Disasters! Brexit trade talks suspended again due to negotiators infected with the new crown
Brexit trade negotiations that have gone through multiple rounds of suspension and restart are definitely unfortunate. On Thursday (November 19), high-level representatives of the UK and the EU in the Brexit negotiations once again suspended face-to-face talks, due to a member of the EU team testing positive for the new Brexit virus. crown.
The EU’s main Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier tweeted that his negotiations with British negotiator David Foster will be suspended for “a short period of time.” However, the teams on both sides will continue to work according to the guidelines. Barnier is currently isolated.
Shortly after Barnier’s statement, Frost, the main representative of the Brexit negotiations, also issued a short statement: “I will be in close contact with Barnier on this matter. The health of our team comes first. Thank you. Help and immediate support provided by the European Commission. “
Currently, there are 41 days left before the Brexit transition period ends, and it is unclear what impact the suspension of negotiations will have. The two sides will continue to work remotely, trying to reach an agreement by the beginning of next week at the latest to allow time for each parliament to approve the agreement before the end of the year.
Finnish EU Affairs Minister Tytti Tuppurainen said the negotiations are still expected to be successful and a “comprehensive” deal will be reached before the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31.
“We are at a critical stage in the negotiations,” Tuppurainen said in a telephone interview with Reuters. “The time pressure is enormous. We all realize there is not much time left … but I have not lost confidence.” “We must all do everything possible to reach an agreement. This is the EU’s goal. We hope to reach a comprehensive and comprehensive agreement with the UK.” A balanced agreement “.
GBPAgainst the dollarIt came under pressure on Thursday and became one of the few major currencies to weaken against the US dollar.
The leaders of France and Belgium are reported to have urged the European Union to redouble its efforts to prepare for a no-deal Brexit by the end of the year, should negotiations with the UK fail to make a breakthrough at the last minute. .
Two people familiar with the discussion said that at the EU leaders’ video summit on Thursday, French President Macron and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called on other leaders to prepare emergency plans to avoid negotiations on signing agreements. commercial and security. It ended with failure.
According to people familiar with the matter, De Croo noted that the negotiations have far exceeded the initial deadline and stated that the EU cannot continue to hope that the disputes with the UK can be resolved on its own.
If an agreement is not reached before the end of the year, with the reestablishment of rates and fees, businesses and consumers will face confusion and new costs. However, in recent days, officials on both sides have expressed cautious optimism in private, believing that a deal can be reached next week, indicating that the comments from the two previous leaders may be an attempt to pressure. to the British government to commit.
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