As it happenedended

Brexit - as it happened: Angela Merkel speaks out on Britain's EU withdrawal - 'We deplore it'

British Prime Minister met her German counterpart in Berlin

Ashley Cowburn

Political Correspondent

Friday 16 February 2018 16:48 GMT

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Theresa May makes statement following discussions with Angela Merkel

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Theresa May has held a joint press conference with her German counterpart Angela Merkel as the Prime Minister prepared to deliver a speech on the UK’s “security partnership” with the bloc after Brexit.

After Ms May met with Ms Merkel at the Chancellery in Berlin, the pair delivered joint statements but the German Chancellor said she is still “curious” about what the UK’s goals from Brexit are.

During the exchange with journalists Ms Merkel said the German position on Brexit had not changed, adding: “We deplore it.”

She denied she was “frustrated” with the process, but said: “We very much look forward to Britain again setting out its ideas.

“We would like to initiate those negotiations because we are under a certain amount of time pressure but we also want be very diligent and very careful in working on this which means we will have frequent exchanges of views.”

Speaking at the same presentation, Ms May said she would be “saying something in the coming weeks” about the kind of future economic partnership the UK wanted with the EU, but insisted “it isn’t just a one-way street”.

Angela Merkel says she is still 'curious' about what the UK actually wants from BrexitAngela Merkel has said she is still "curious" about what the UK's goals from Brexit are, nearly a year after the negotiation process was started. The German chancellor was speaking at a joint press conference in Berlin with Theresa May after bilateral talks about Britain's departure from the EU. More follows…

Ashley Cowburn16 February 2018 16:41

One of the key lines from the press conference between Angela Merkel and Theresa May was quite clearly this one from the German Chancellor after she was asked by a journalist whether she is frustrated at the lack of clarity from the UK government over the future relationship.

"I'm not frustrated at all, i'm just curious about how Britain envisages this future partnership," Merkel replied.

"We would like to preserve this close partnership and both sides are in a process of learning and trying to find out where there is common ground

"We sometimes don't know how our opposite number is seeing things and we've had a very candid exchange. We need to have further exchanges but frustration doesn't at all describe it appropriately."

Merkel also said Germany had not changed its position on Britain leaving the EU, saying: "We deplore it."

She said that she now wanted to hear from the British on their proposals for a Brexit deal.

"We very much look forward to Britain again setting out its ideas," she said.

"We would like to initiate those negotiations because we are under a certain amount of time pressure but we also want be very diligent and very careful in working on this which means we will have frequent exchanges of views."

Ashley Cowburn16 February 2018 16:46

Angela Merkel says she is still 'curious' about what the UK actually wants from BrexitAngela Merkel has said she is still “curious” about what the UK’s goals from Brexit are, despite holding talks with Theresa May on Friday. The German chancellor was speaking at a joint press conference in Berlin with the Prime Minister after bilateral discussions about Britain’s departure from the EU. During an exchange with journalists Ms Merkel said the German position on Brexit had not changed, adding: “We deplore it.’’ She denied she was “frustrated” with the process, but said: “We very much look forward to Britain again setting out its ideas.

Ashley Cowburn16 February 2018 17:19

Mrs May insisted there would be no return to a "hard border" between Northern Ireland and the Republic, and that there were various ways the issue could be addressed.

"The Irish government, the UK Government and the people of Northern Ireland were all clear there would be no hard border," she said.

"As the Taoiseach (Leo Varadkar) said on Monday, the preference is for the arrangement to be part of the overall agreement that the UK will have with the European Union.

"That is looking at that new partnership where there will be a new balance of rights and obligations that we will be discussing through the next stage of the negotiations."

Ashley Cowburn16 February 2018 17:25