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BLED, Slovenia (Reuters) – Brexit European Union negotiator Michel Barnier said Monday at a forum in Slovenia that a divorce agreement with Britain could be reached in six to eight weeks .
FILE PHOTO: The Chief Negotiator of the European Union, Brexit, Michel Barnier, listens to a translation at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, on July 26, 2018. REUTERS / Yves Herman / File Photo
"I think that if we are realistic, we can reach an agreement on the first stage of the negotiation, which is the Brexit Treaty, in six or eight weeks," Barnier told Bled's strategic forum.
"Given the time required for the ratification process, the House of Commons on one side, the European Parliament and the Council on the other side … we have to reach an agreement by early November.
"I think it's possible."
Although Barnier was cautious and pointed out that the differences on the Irish issue remained a serious problem, the pound sterling rose to 1.3052 dollars, about 1% more than the euro.
Barnier has regularly stated that he wants an agreement by November to ensure parliamentary ratification by March, by which date Britain must leave, with or without agreement. He regularly stated that this timetable was realistic if negotiators found compromises.
He stressed that he and the EU were "determined" to reach an agreement, but said that he was neither optimistic nor pessimistic.
He refused to be drawn into arguments in the British government on the proposals of Prime Minister Theresa May concerning a close agreement on customs and the regulation of trade in goods, describing them with a smile as an "intense and stimulating debate ".
Written by Alastair Macdonald in Brussels; Edited by Kevin Liffey
