President Macron and Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said the deal was progress GEERT VANDEN WIJNGAERT/APBritain and the European Union will begin exploratory talks on a trade pact within weeks, officials said yesterday as the two sides formalised their breakthrough agreement in Brexit negotiations. After just a few minutes of talks, leaders of the 27 member states signed off on a three-page statement authorising the start of transition negotiations. They also agreed to begin informal discussions about Britain’s long-term relationship with the bloc ahead of formal talks in late March. However, as the EU summit broke up yesterday evening, a new barrier emerged to a transition agreement as Spain insisted it had a veto and Britain would first have to obtain Madrid’s consent for Gibraltar to be covered. “Whatever agreement between the EU and the UK, there has to be…

Source: The Times December 16, 2017 00:03 UTC