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AFP
London
Britain and the European Union on Wednesday agreed to hold last-ditch talks aimed at securing a Brexit deal with just days left to thrash out an agreement, as the two sides accuse each other of failing to compromise.
Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay will meet his EU counterpart Michel Barnier in Brussels in an attempt to break the impasse before an October 17-18 summit.
“We’ve put forward serious proposals and have been willing to be flexible. Now it’s time for the EU to do the same,” Barclay tweeted.
The meeting was put back 24 hours until Friday morning after London said Prime Minister Boris Johnson would meet his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar on Thursday.
Barnier played down hopes of a breakthrough before EU leaders meet, even as he promised to work around the clock to the deadline.
He said the EU could not accept Britain’s proposals as they stand, arguing they would undermine peace and weaken the European single market.
“As I speak to you now, we’re not on the point of envisioning and finding a deal,” he told the European Parliament.on Britain is due to leave the EU on Oct 31, more than three years after a landmark referendum that has dominated domestic politics and divided the nation.
Johnson has promised to take the country out of the bloc after nearly five decades of integration -- with or without a withdrawal agreement.
On Tuesday, Downing Street sources broke diplomatic protocol by leaking details of a private conversation between Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Merkel was alleged to have said a deal was “overwhelmingly unlikely” without further UK compromise on its plans to keep open the border between EU member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland.
Berlin declined to give details of the call but an irate European Council chief Donald Tusk accused Johnson of playing a “stupid blame game” and jeopardising the future of both Britain and the EU.
Johnson’s meeting with Varadkar comes with few signs Dublin is prepared to move on its position about border arrangements.
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10/10/2019
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