Negotiation

The United Kingdom and European Union have reached a post-Brexit trade agreement after months of fraught negotiations, the British government said in a statement Thursday. The breakthrough averts a much-feared "no-deal" scenario that would have sparked economic chaos and risked major disruption to the flow of goods and medicines.

European stocks tumbled as a new strain of the coronavirus in the U.K. caused chaos ahead of the Christmas holiday, with regional neighbors suspending travel with the nation following another missed deadline in Brexit talks.

In a speech to the European Parliament on Friday,  European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier gave a stark assessment of the ultimatum the EU is giving to the British: access to the EU's single market will be conditional on keeping British fishing waters open to boats from the bloc.

 European Union Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said  that "the next few days are important" for negotiations if a trade deal with Britain is going to be in place for Jan. 1, when the United Kingdom finally leaves the European Union.

The long-awaited meeting will take place "in the coming days", the leaders said after a telephone conversation that lasted more than an hour on Monday, December 7. That conversation followed after a tense morning in Brussels, Jutarnji list writes.

The UK and EU have reached agreement on how rules in the Brexit divorce deal relating to Northern Ireland's borders will work in practice.

 This is a Brexit breakthrough.

 The two sides have reached an "agreement in principle" on issues including border control posts and the supply of medicines.

Michel Barnier has warned Boris Johnson to stick to his promises as he warned there would not be a trade deal otherwise.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator is playing hard ball with the Prime Minister ahead of a fourth round of trade talks this week as he insisted the prospect of a no-deal end to the transition period this year would be compounded by the impact of the Covid-19 crisis.

EU's chief negotiator for future relations with the UK, Michel Barnier, tested positive for the coronavirus, DPA reported.

"I would like to inform you that my sample for COVID-19 has turned out to be positive," he said on Twitter, adding that he 'doing well and in good spirits' and announced he was 'following the necessary instructions' along with his staff.

The European Union and the United Kingdom take note of the profound differences in their negotiating positions on the future relations agreement. This was announced today by EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier after the first round of talks that began in Brussels earlier this week.

The UK will not tolerate any European Union compliance requirements, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz during talks in London, a spokesman for the prime minister's office told RIA Novosti.