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German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Monday called on Britain to agree on a post-Brexit deal in the face of COVID-19, after a meeting with the European Commission's chief negotiator Michel Barnier in Berlin.
The coronavirus pandemic had made negotiations "even more difficult," Maas said. "But it has also made an agreement even more urgent" as people on both sides of the channel were already shouldering challenges.
In view of COVID-19 and its negative consequences for the economy, a no-deal would be "totally irresponsible" to citizens, warned Maas, adding that Germany was still seeking a solution.
"Our door is still open for a close and ambitious partnership with Britain," he said.
Maas noted that many questions remained open in the UK-EU negotiations. "If we still want to make it to the finish line, we must now really make progress on all these open questions."
The UK and the EU concluded their ninth round of trade talks in Brussels on Friday, with state subsidy and fisheries remaining two sticking points. Britain and the EU have said a future trade deal needs to be agreed by mid-October to enable it to be approved ahead of January 1, 2021.
The two sides started the lengthy and bumpy post-Brexit talks in March after Britain ended its EU membership on January 31. They try to secure a future trade deal before the Brexit transition period expires at the end of the year. If there is no deal in place, Britain will trade with the EU on terms of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
"The EU is negotiating with a great will to unite," said Maas, adding that Germany fully supports chief negotiator Barnier, who is "leading the negotiations for the 27 EU member states and has our full confidence."
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
