Brussels
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday said that Britain and Eurpean Union were closer to sealing Brexit trade deal but she added that it was still unclear whether talks would succeed. UK is set to transition out of the world's largest trading bloc at the end of the year and time is short for both sides to agree over a trade deal.
UK PM Boris Johnson said he hoped the EU would "see sense" and agree a deal that respected Britain`s sovereignty, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the bloc favoured agreement.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament: "I cannot tell you whether there will be a deal or not. But I can tell you that there is a path to an agreement now. The path may be very narrow but it is there."
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EU chief added that there were issues to be resolved.
"We have found a way forward on most issues but two issues still remain outstanding: the level playing field and fisheries," she said. "Issues linked to governance now have largely been resolved. The next days are going to be decisive."
A trade deal between UK and the EU would be necessary in order to keep an estimated one trillion dollars of annual trade free of tariffs and quotas beyond December 31.
(With Reuters inputs)