EU hails Brexit breakthrough
Leaders pleased with deal and ready to move towards phase two
Paris: European leaders hailed the deal reached between Britain and the EU on the terms of the Brexit divorce, with some describing the move as a victory for common sense. Here are some of the reactions: Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Dublin had “achieved all that we set out to achieve” in phase one but added it would remain “vigilant” in upcoming negotiations on post-Brexit UK-EU trade ties.
“This is not the end but it is the end of the beginning and we will remain fully engaged and vigilant through phase two,” he said.
And Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the deal “fully” protected the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement and was a “very good outcome for everyone on the island of Ireland”.
Even Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, which blocked a previous version of the agreement on Monday, said it was “pleased” to see some changes which meant there would be no “red line” between Northern Ireland and the rest of Britain.
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Inter radio: “I think that the work which has been done in the negotiations that were initiated by Juncker and implemented by Michel Barnier has gradually resulted in common sense.
“We wanted the conditions of the withdrawal to be very clearly defined so that we can move to another phase and that’s what’s going to happen now, I hope.”
Norway’s EU and EEA Minister Marit Berger Rosland wrote on Twitter: “Very positive that the UK and the EU have taken this important step in the Brexit negotiations. An orderly Brexit is good for Europe and good for Norway.”
Although it does not belong to the EU, Norway has access to the single market through its membership of the European Economic Area.
Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on Twitter: “Today’s progress in EU/UK #Brexit negotiations is good news. Expect #EUCO can conclude ‘sufficient progress’ next week. Then we are ready to move to phase 2. #eupol #dkpol.” — AFP