Theresa May assures Angela Merkel Brexit remains 'on track'
The PM tells the German Chancellor work on an EU exit is going as expected, following criticism she does not have a Brexit plan.
Friday 18 November 2016 15:48, UK
The Prime Minister has moved to reassure her German counterpart that preparations for Brexit remain "on track".
Theresa May told Angela Merkel work to sever ties with Brussels was proceeding as planned and "we stand ready to trigger Article 50 before the end of March, or by the end of March 2017".
Mrs May's comments follow criticism from opponents that she does not have a Brexit plan.
The timetable for leaving the EU could also be delayed by a legal decision that the PM must get parliamentary approval before triggering Brexit.
"I want to see this as a smooth process, an orderly process, working towards a solution that is in the interests of both the United Kingdom but also in the interests of our European partners too," Mrs May said.
But the potential difficulties Mrs May will face as she tries to secure a Brexit deal were earlier underlined by Germany's finance minister, who said the UK faces paying into the EU
Wolfgang Schauble also said there would be no special deal to curb freedom of movement if the UK wants to stay in the common market.
The Prime Minister updated Mrs Merkel on the Brexit process, even though Mrs Merkel said it was not on the agenda.
Mrs Merkel said it would not be possible to discuss Britain's exit from the EU in detail on Friday as the UK had yet to trigger Article 50.
She said: "We will not discuss any further today the British wish to leave the Union.
"That will not be on the agenda because the Prime Minister has already assured us at the very latest that Britain will invoke Article 50 by the end of March."
The pair were speaking after and the leaders of France, Italy and Spain in Berlin.
Mr Obama, who leaves office in January, used the meeting to urge them to work with his successor, President-elect Donald Trump.
He implored them to work on common challenges with Mr Trump's administration on the "basis of the core values that define the United States and Europe as open democracies".
The meeting comes amid concerns about the President-elect's attitude to Russia and commitment to the NATO alliance.
The six leaders also discussed steps to resolve conflicts in Syria and eastern Ukraine, the White House said.
Mrs May warned Russia it may face further sanctions if international humanitarian law is breached in Syria.
"On Syria, looking at Aleppo, we are united in our condemnation of the atrocities that are taking place there," she said.
"We agree on the need to keep up the pressure on Russia, including the possibility of sanctions on those who breach international humanitarian law."