SEE ALSO: 'We must do everything to avoid a no-deal Brexit': MerkelSEE ALSO: Merkel spokesman says reopening Brexit deal 'not on agenda'Britain is poised to leave the EU at the end of March following a 2016referendum. Merkel acknowledged the issue of the unpopular Northern Ireland backstopprovision was "complicating" Brexit talks. The backstop is intended to ensure there is no return to a hard border withIreland, but Brexit supporters fear it will keep Britain tied to EU customs rules. She said the issue with the backstop was a "problem that is precisely defined and therefore one should be able to find a precisely defined solution". Merkel said relations between Britain and the EU bloc were currently strongand would remain that way.

Source: The Local February 05, 2019 08:45 UTC