Brexit talks start in Brussels with 20 months to go

Brexit Secretary David Davis launches a first round of

negotiations on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union on Monday

when he meets the EU's Michel Barnier for four days of talks between

their teams in Brussels.

A month after a first

meeting where the two exchanged gifts inspired by a shared passion for

hill-walking and spoke of the mountain of complexity they must climb,

the Frenchman will press Davis to agree to Britain covering substantial

British financial commitments and offer more details on other British

proposals.

With little more than a year to settle divorce terms

before Britain leaves, deal or no deal, on March 30, 2019, the 27 other

EU national leaders want British Prime Minister Theresa May to rally her

divided nation swiftly behind a clear, detailed plan that can minimize

economic and social disruption across Europe as its second biggest

economy cuts loose from the continent.

"We made a

good start last month, and this week we’ll be getting into the real

substance," Davis said in remarks prepared for delivery ahead of the

meeting.

"Protecting the rights of all our citizens

is the priority for me going into this round and I'm clear that it's

something we must make real progress on."

Negotiators will break into groups discussing four key areas of priorities before a planned news conference on Thursday.

Barnier,

who secured Davis' consent last month to the EU's broad structure for

talks, wants to hold the Englishman publicly to whatever else has been

agreed during the week, EU officials say.

Working

groups will focus on three areas: citizens' rights; the EU demand that

Britain pays some 60 billion euros (70 billion US dollars) to cover

ongoing EU budget commitments; and other loose ends, such as what

happens to British goods in EU shops on Brexit Day.

A fourth set of talks, run by Davis and Barnier's

deputies Oliver Robbins and Sabine Weyand, will focus on curbing

problems in Northern Ireland once a new EU land border separates the

British province from EU member Ireland to the south. Some of that will

have to wait for clarity on future trade relations.

One

key early advance that EU officials hope for this week is for Britain

to stop challenging the principle it will owe Brussels money – though

how much will have to be argued over and cannot be calculated until

Britain actually leaves.

Three more weeks of talks,

interspersed with internal EU sessions to coordinate the views of the 27

other governments, are scheduled, from late August until early

October.