Polish PM talks Brexit with chief EU negotiator
PR dla Zagranicy
Grzegorz Siwicki
13.11.2017 12:20
Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło is on Monday set to meet the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, to brief him on Poland’s expectations about the bloc's future relations with the UK, the Polish government spokesman has said.
Michel Barnier (right), the EU's chief negotiator, and Britain’s Brexit Secretary David Davis, give a press briefing at the end of the sixth round of talks in Brussels on Friday. Photo: EPA/OLIVIER
During the talks, Szydło is expected to bring up issues such as citizens' rights and family reunification, spokesman Rafał Bochenek said on Monday.
Szydło and Barnier were due to meet later in the day to discuss the state of negotiations on the terms and conditions of Britain's exit from the European Union, Bochenek said.
Szydło is expected to “present Poland’s expectations on the principles that should define future relations between the EU and the UK," Bochenek said.
He added that Szydło was also expected to talk with Barnier about a proposal made by British Prime Minister Theresa May for a transition period post-Brexit.
Poland wants to contribute to the EU position during the ongoing Brexit negotiations, Bochenek also said.
The ongoing negotiations between the EU and Britain concerning the country's departure from the bloc are still in their first stage. To move on to the next stage, the two sides need to agree on three issues: citizens’ rights, the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, and the UK’s financial contributions to the EU budget, officials have said.
'Unsatisfactory' progress of talks on finances
In mid-October, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło said that Poland was satisfied with Brexit negotiations over citizens’ rights, but progress made on financial issues was "unsatisfactory."
Speaking in the Slovak capital Bratislava, where she met other Central European heads of government, Szydło said at the time: "We are pleased with progress made on citizens' rights, but the headway on financial issues is unsatisfactory, so for now it is impossible to move to the second stage of negotiations."
A day earlier Barnier and Britain’s Brexit Secretary Davis said that the expected progress had not been achieved in the UK's exit talks with the EU.
Last week Poland’s Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said that the EU’s relations with Britain "should have unprecedented depth" after the UK leaves the bloc.
Britain launched the two-year process of leaving the EU on March 29.
(gs/pk)
Source: PAP