Reuters reported that Germany is doing all it can to ensure the European Union and Britain reach a divorce deal, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday, warning that success was not guaranteed.
Addressing a financial conference in Frankfurt, the German leader said an extensive trade deal between the two sides could form the foundation of their future relationship and that clear divorce terms must be reach this autumn.
“We don’t want the discussions to break down,” Merkel said. “But we also can’t fully rule that out because we still have no result. But I promise you that we will use all our force and creativity to make sure a deal happens.”
Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29 next year after a referendum in June 2016 but has yet to secure an agreement to define future relations with Brussels and manage the economic impact of ending over four decades of integration with the world’s largest trading bloc.
“We must in autumn finalise the question of divorce and set out in a the clearest way possible how the future relations will look like,” Merkel said.
“We assume that Britain will be a third country and a very intensive trade deal would be the basis of our future relations.”