LONDON (Reuters) – Britain remains in touch with the European Union over negotiations for a trade deal and will share further legal texts with the bloc shortly, the country’s Brexit negotiator David Frost said on Tuesday.
Britain wants to agree a free trade agreement with the EU by the end of this year but formal negotiations have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in hospital with the virus, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier tested positive and Frost was also in self-isolation with a suspected case.
“UK-EU contacts have been continuing in these difficult times. We have remained in touch throughout, both sides have exchanged legal texts, and last week we had a series of conference calls to explore and clarify technicalities,” Frost said on Twitter.
“The UK side will share further legal texts with EU Commission shortly. I and Michel Barnier will speak next week and we aim to reach agreement on a timetable for the discussions needed in April and May. Further details will follow then.”
(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Stephen Addison)
