British Prime Minister Theresa May won a modest reprieve in stalled Brexit talks on Friday, with European Union leaders signalling their readiness to move the negotiations forward in the coming months. EU leaders said at a summit in Brussels that they would begin preparations to move into “phase two” of the Brexit negotiations in December, a step forward that would allow London to discuss its future trade relationship with the bloc. An EU official said it took just 90 seconds for the 27 other leaders to adopt their Brexit conclusions at the end of the meeting, underlining how united they are. May said she cannot provide a specific financial pledge until she knows the shape of the future relationship. The EU is insisting that the two sides agree on an exit bill, the rights of EU citizens in a post-Brexit world and Irish border issues before delving into future ties.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 20, 2017 13:41 UTC