British PM Boris Johnson to join EU leaders to break Brexit deadlock

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson will reportedly join a video-conference with the EU leaders on June 15 in a bid to make negotiations on a future EU-UK relationship. According to an international media report, Johnson would use the meeting to press the 27-nation EU to aim for an agreement by the end of the summer and not to use coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to drag its feet. However, the officials in Brussels expect no breakthrough in the Brexit deadlock. 

As per reports, the officials in Brussels said that no one expects any breakthrough unless Johnson decides to ‘surprise’. A senior official reportedly said that the meeting was scheduled in the withdrawal agreement, however, no one expects much. Earlier this month, negotiators also made a very little progress towards a free trade pact, but the agreed to intensify negotiations. The upcoming meeting between EU and UK is expected to open the way for a renewed political push. 

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While speaking to an international media outlet, one EU official said that the video-conference would be an opportunity for the bloc’s leaders to emphasise that the insistence of their chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, on a broad deal that would keep Britain closely aligned with the EU reflected the will of all member states and not his intransigence. 

Another official reportedly also added that despite plans to speed up negotiations, major progress was unlikely until after the summer when London would ‘scramble to get something done’ in the 11th hour, as it did last year to clinch a deal on its withdrawal agreement.

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UK won’t extend post-Brexit transition period 

The video conference comes after the British government told EU that it would not seek an extension to the post-Brexit transition period beyond December 31, 2020. Earlier this month, Britain and the EU also finished the fourth round of negotiations without any major breakthrough. Barnier said in a statement that the UK is “backtracking” from its commitments made before the post-Brexit talks started in March. Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Barnier said that “no substantial progress” has been made in the roundtable talks.

(Image: AP) 

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