لندن (ا ف ب) - رئيس الوزراء البريطاني بوريس جونسون ورئيس مجلس الوزراء الإتحاد الأوربيوافقت الذراع التنفيذية لـ Brexit يوم السبت على البقاء على اتصال حيث تكثف فرق التفاوض الخاصة بهم الجهود لإبرام صفقة تجارية بعد خروج بريطانيا من الاتحاد الأوروبي بين المملكة المتحدة وبريطانيا. الإتحاد الأوربي قبل نفاد الوقت.
With less than two months to go before the U.K. exits the <a href="/ar/topics/european-union/">EU</a>’s economic orbit, a spokesman at Johnson’s Downing Street office said the negotiating teams would “redouble efforts to reach a deal” when talks resume in London on Monday.
The spokesman said Johnson told European Commission President Ursula <a class="wpil_keyword_link " href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_von_der_Leyen" title="von der Leyen" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">von der Leyen</a> during a Saturday telephone call that “significant differences” remain despite “some progress” in the negotiators’ recent discussions.
In a similar sounding statement, Von der Leyen noted some progress as well as “large differences” in the trade talks, adding that the negotiating teams will “continue working hard” to secure a deal.
Both sides said the main issues at hand related to a so-called “level playing field” governing business regulations and fisheries.
Though the U.K. left the <a href="/ar/topics/european-union/">EU</a> on Jan. 31, it remains within the bloc’s tariff-free single market and customs union until the end of the year. In order for a deal to pass the necessary legislative hurdles, an agreement has to be secured soon, potentially over the next week.
A trade deal would ensure there are no tariffs and quotas on trade in goods between the two sides, but there would still be technical costs, partly associated with customs checks and non-tariff barriers on services.
Though both sides would suffer economically from a failure to secure a trade deal, most economists think the British economy would take a greater hit, at least in the near-term, as it is relatively more reliant on trade with the <a href="/ar/topics/european-union/">EU</a> than vice versa.
When the <a href="/ar/topics/european-union/">EU</a>’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his British counterpart, David Frost, meet next week, they may know the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.
<a name="pagebreak"/>
Though the election is not connected directly, many analysts say it could have a bearing on the discussions.
President Donald Trump was a Brexit cheerleader and said he wanted to conclude a trade deal with the U.K. following reelection. In contrast, Trump’s Democratic rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, has voiced worries about the impact of Brexit on the peace process on the island of Ireland. Biden said he would seek to rebuild U.S. ties with the <a href="/ar/topics/european-union/">EU</a>, were he to become president.
___
Follow all AP stories about Brexit and British politics at https://apnews.com/hub/brexit
<div id="newsletter-form-story">
<div class="block-content" id="news-signup-block">
<h3 class="block-title">Sign up for Daily Newsletters</h3>
</div>
</div>
<div class="permission" readability="8">
Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC.
</div>
