If there is a will, there will be a deal
Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to European Council President Michel, European Commission President von der Leyen and European Parliament President Sassoli.
Ambassador Vale de Almeida said:
“We hope now that as a result of the impulse that our leaders have provided the negotiators can go deeper into some of the more difficult areas. We need progress across the board. It is not only the method that counts, but also the substance of the talks. If there is a will, there is going to be a deal. This requires commitment on both sides. The present economic context requires a good understanding between the UK and the EU.”
Last week the EU and the UK negotiating teams agreed to intensify the talks. The new schedule of rounds is available here.
The Ambassador added:
“We are engaged in these negotiations in a very sincere way. We’ve done some progress in the last four months. We want to do more in the four months to come. We need to have a good mix of speed and momentum, this is important, but like when you are driving a car – you also need to drive safe. So this mix of speed and driving safely is what we need for the next weeks and months”.
Replying to a question by Bloomberg’s top presenter Francine Laqua on how he sees EU-UK relations in 5-10 years’ time, Ambassador de Almeida said he is optimistic:
“I look at the interests and the values that we share. Our countries have been together for almost half a century and we certainly share fundamental values. But we also share some strategic interests. The world is not an easy place to live in these days. There are a number of threats. I look forward to a very solid, very deep relationship between the EU and the UK. This is important for our countries, our businesses. But also for the world at large”.
Latest on EU-UK negotiations on future relationship
Statement by Michel Barnier after the 4th round of negotiations
