Michel Barnier

Britain and the European Union began their first formal Brexit negotiations on June 19, under pressure to seal a deal amid disarray in London over whether to go for a hard or soft divorce.

At stake is not just Britain's future but also Europe's post-war political order and its place in the world which could be fatally undermined without an agreement by the March 2019 deadline.

Britain starts formal talks to leave the EU on Monday, seeking a deal "like no other in history" despite entering fiendishly difficult negotiations with a badly weakened government, reported AFP.

Britain begins historic talks on June 19 on leaving the European Union while still mourning the victims of a devastating fire and reeling from an election that has badly weakened the government.

Britain's finance minister said on June 16 that protecting jobs and the economy should be the main focus in upcoming discussions over the country's exit from the European Union.

European Council President Donald Tusk, who will oversee the negotiations that will take Britain out of the EU, said on May 17 he wanted other member states to be fair towards London, while retaining their unity.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier insisted May 3 the bloc was not punishing Britain as London firmly rejected a reported 100 billion euro exit bill.

Barnier warned however against the "illusion" that leaving the European Union would be quick or painless, urging Britain to start talks as soon as possible after its general election in June.

European Union leaders unanimously adopted their Brexit strategy at a special summit in Brussels on April 29, in a show of unity ahead of two years of tough talks with Britain.

The 27 leaders quickly agreed on the negotiating guidelines as they met without Britain for the first time since Prime Minister Theresa May triggered the divorce process a month ago.

The Prime Minister will host Michel Barnier and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker for a working dinner at Downing Street at 7pm on Wednesday, writes The Press and Journal.

Britain said March 20 that it will trigger its exit from the European Union on March 29, nine months after the country voted to leave the European Union.

Triggering Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, the formal procedure for leaving the bloc, will open a two-year timetable for difficult negotiations, meaning Britain could be out of the EU by 2019.

The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator has told colleagues that they need to strike a "special" deal with Britain's finance sector in order to keep credit flowing to the continent, the Guardian reported on Jan. 13.