London, Oct 7: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has on Monday urged France’s President Emmanuel Macron to “push forward” to safe-guard a Brexit deal with the European Union (EU) and told him the bloc shouldn’t be tempted into misbelief that the United Kingdom (UK) would not withdraw if fails to strike an agreement October 31, the prime minister’s office said.
Johnson discussed his proposed Brexit arrangements – which has received great acceptance in Brussels, with French President Macron and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Sunday.
“This is the chance to get a deal done: a deal that is backed by parliamentarians and a deal which involves compromise on all sides,” a senior British administrative source has said on Sunday.
“The UK has made a big, important offer but it’s time for the Commission to show a willingness to compromise too. If not the UK will leave with no deal,” the reported further added.
Macron has told UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the European Union (EU) would decide at the end of this week whether a Brexit deal was going to be possible.
On October 3, the EU has welcomed Johnson’s Brexit proposal ahead of Britain’s departure from the bloc, as scheduled on October 31, but however said the differences still remain the same that needed to be bridged in order to secure an arrangement within time limit.
As Brexit negotiator delivered the new Brexit proposals, Johnson held a telephonic conversation with EU head Jean-Claude Juncker, two weeks ahead of a summit with the bloc on Oct 17-19.
The development marked the change in the EU’s tone after several weeks of UK negotiators putting forth ideas, dismissed by the EU several times over the Irish Backstop deadlock.
However, the bloc also stressed differences remain the same, especially on the proposed custom agreements post Brexit.