Polish PM satisfied with Brexit deal

European Union leaders, gathered at an extraordinary summit in Brussels, unanimously backed the 585-page agreement with British Prime Minister Theresa May, sealing the UK’s divorce from the bloc.

According to Polish Radio’s IAR news agency, the deal includes the two most important points for Poland: guarantees of EU citizens' rights in the UK after Brexit, and a pledge by London that it will continue to contribute to the EU budget after Britain leaves the bloc.

Poland is currently the largest beneficiary of the EU budget.

Poland’s Prime Minister said on Twitter that "the Brexit deal is a result of long negotiations, in which Poland was opting for a compromise since the very beginning."

"...The agreement guarantees the rights of Poles in the UK, the interest of Polish companies and the EU budget,” Morawiecki added.

He also said that Poland and Britain "will remain close allies."

The agreement now needs to be ratified by the parliaments of EU member countries but according to IAR news agency, it is unclear whether the British lower house will back the deal, as many MPs have criticized it as being "harmful to the UK’s interests.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May was quoted by IAR as saying that she hopes the vote in London will take place before Christmas.

A record 1.02 million Poles lived in Britain at the end of 2017, according to the UK Office for National Statistics.

Many European Union citizens living in the UK, and many British nationals on mainland Europe, have felt uncertain about the future, as have some EU companies working directly or indirectly with British-based firms.

Britain started the process of leaving the European Union last year, with a final divorce date set for March 2019.