Brexit Deal to be Finalized by November 21: U.K. Lead Negotiator Dominic Raab

• 11.01.2018, 16:05
•  Europe,  World

Daily Express

British and European officials hailed progress in Brexit negotiations, with U.K. lead negotiator Dominic Raab predicting that a deal on the divorce will be finalized by Nov. 21, Bloomberg reported.

In a letter to Parliament’s Brexit select committee sent Oct. 24 - and published Wednesday - Raab said “a great deal of progress” had been made in recent weeks, thanks in part to new British proposals for resolving the disagreement over the future of the Irish border. Separately, the Times reported Thursday that the two sides have agreed to a deal that would give U.K. financial services companies access to EU markets after Brexit.

The border impasse has clogged up negotiations for months, but Raab appeared hopeful of reaching a swift resolution. “Despite our differences, we are not far from an agreement on this issue,” Dominic Raab mentioned in his letter to Hilary Benn, the committee chairman.

The government tried to downplay the significance of Raab’s remarks, after they were reported widely in the U.K. media. The Brexit Department noted "there is no set date for the negotiations to conclude." However, one official said the letter, while a week old, still reflected current thinking.

Meanwhile in Brussels, EU officials sounded more optimistic than in the past, telling ambassadors on Wednesday that there is a more positive mood surrounding the negotiations. Still, two other EU officials were privately skeptical that a deal would be done by Nov. 21.