UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will speak to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday to take stock of the trade and future relationship negotiations, according to a spokesman.
"The PM will be speaking to President von der Leyen tomorrow afternoon to take stock of negotiations and the discuss next steps”, a spokesman from Johnson's Downing Street office said.
British Housing Minister Robert Jenrick said that significant issues remain to be resolved in talks between the UK and the EU about their future post-Brexit trade relationship.
Jenrick noted that it was too early to say what a conversation scheduled for Saturday between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would include.
The European Commission on Thursday decided to formally notify the United Kingdom it was launching an infringement procedure over the UK Internal Market Bill, which contradicts the Withdrawal Agreement, President Ursula von der Leyen said.
The Internal Market Bill, which proposes rolling back some of the commitments the UK made on state aid and customs checks on goods entering Northern Ireland, was passed by the House of Commons earlier this week and will go on to face debates and votes in the House of Lords.
The United Kingdom left the European Union in January but remains under the current EU trade terms for the extension of the so-called transition period which is due to expire on 31 December.
If no trade deal is reached by then, the World Trade Organization's rules will come into effect starting in 2021, meaning that customs tariffs and full border checks will be applied for UK goods entering the European area.
