UK Brexit: Brussels venue where Barnier, Frost are meeting

European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and his UK counterpart David Frost met in Brussels on Friday as a deline to forge a last-minute tre deal loomed. As pair held discussions in Belgian capital, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it ws "very, very likely" that negotiations on a new ecomic relationship to take effect on January 1 will fail to strike a deal.

Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have set a Sunday deline to decide wher to keep talking or prepare all-out for a -deal break. Britain left EU on January 31 but has continued to follow bloc’s rules during a transition period that lasts until end of year. While both sides want a deal on terms of a new relationship, y have fundamentally different views of what it entails.

EU fears Britain will slash social and environmental standards and pump state money into UK industries, becoming a low-regulation ecomic rival on bloc’s doorstep, so it is demanding strict “level playing field” guarantees in exchange for access to its markets. UK government claims EU is trying to bind Britain to bloc’s rules and regulations indefinitely, rar than treating it as an independent nation.

(Im Credit: AP)