Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz warned the UK against any attempt to divide the EU to secure a more favorable Brexit deal, The Independent reported on Wednesday.
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“Of course as the presidency in office there are various issues on the table that we haven’t chosen – I’m thinking of Brexit. Of course we’re unhappy that the United Kingdom is poised to leave the European Union but more important than that is managing an orderly departure,” Mr. Kurz said while addressing the European Parliament.
He said facilitating Britain’s exit from the bloc in an unharmful way is “important” and highlighted the importance of “sound political and economic relations” with Britain post-Brexit.
Commenting on the efforts of EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier, Chancellor Kurz said, “We will do our best to support him and also preserve the unity of the 27 [member states] in these matters.”
UK negotiators and diplomats have reportedly been annoyed by only being allowed to negotiate and discuss concerns with Michel Barnier, as opposed to officials from the member states which make up the EU.
Brexit negotiations have yielded significant progress on a number of matters, but solutions to some issues, including the Irish border, are yet to be finalized.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker mentioned this matter while addressing the European Parliament, saying “We have been waiting for months now for the white paper from No 10 Downing Street and we will analyze it once we receive it. We will not accept that the Irish issue is isolated in such a way that it is the only issue not resolved at the end of these discussions.”
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