BRUSSELS/LONDON (BELGIUM/UK) – After steering away from a chaotic finale to the Brexit divorce, both Britain and the European Union were on the cusp of forging a trade pact on Thursday.
A last-minute trade agreement with the bloc would help Britain avoid the most disturbing end to the divorce. But, the country is heading for a much more distant relationship with its biggest trading partner.
As per sources, a deal is close as Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a late-night conference call with his Cabinet of senior ministers, while negotiators in the Belgian capital scrutinised legal trade texts.
“Work will continue throughout the night,” said the spokesman of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Eric Mamer.
“Grabbing some sleep is recommended to all Brexit-watchers at this point. It will hopefully be an early start tomorrow morning,” Mamer said.
There are reports of a news conference in London on Thursday morning regarding the developments.