LONDON: With Brexit “done” as far as London is concerned, UK and EU negotiators on Monday begin talks aimed at forging a future relationship — while brandishing red lines that may yet prove to be irreconcilable. The UK’s current transition period, during which it trades like an EU member with no tariffs or other barriers, ends on December 31. Meanwhile, the UK is insisting on setting its own rules in the name of “economic and political independence”. That, notably, requires checks on British goods crossing the Irish Sea into the UK territory of Northern Ireland, which remains in the orbit of the EU single market. Zuleeg said he was “pessimistic” about the outcome because the UK was so strongly emphasising its desire to diverge from EU rules.

Source: Pakistan Today March 02, 2020 04:18 UTC