Brexit in midway but breakthrough still far away

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Europe

With 504 days and 10 hours left before the March 29, 2019 deadline, Brexit passed its midway point on Friday.

But negotiators from the two sides of the English Channel tried in vain to bring the long-anticipated progress in their sixth round talks, giving rise to increasing fear of a no-deal scenario through Europe.

"Do not wait for us today, as we are, announcements or major decisions. The discussions of these last days are, in the moment we are, between two European Councils, a moment of deepening, of clarification, of technical work," European Union's (EU) chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told reporters.

European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier gestures during a joint news conference with Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis (not on the picture) after the latest round of talks in Brussels, Belgium November 10, 2017. /Reuters Photo

"Only sufficient progress, that is, sincere and real progress on the three key topics of this negotiation, will enable the second phase of our negotiation to begin," he reaffirmed, only managed to add "sincere and real" to avoid duplication with his previous speeches.

The three key issues are citizens' rights, a financial settlement and the Irish border, Barnier said.

Time is ticking, but the deadlock remains.

"This is a serious business. If we are to find a way forward it will require flexibility and pragmatism from both sides as I think Michel also stressed," said Britain's Brexit Secretary David Davis during the joint press conference with Barnier at the EU headquarters.

Like his counterpart, his vocabulary for "flexibility and pragmatism" also seemed dry, and merely managed to add "This is a serious business" into his reaffirmation, which didn't make him persuasive at all.

Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis and European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier arrive to address a joint news conference after the latest round of talks in Brussels, Belgium November 10, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Kicked off in Brussels on Thursday, the two-day sixth round Brexit talks coincidently marked the halfway point for Brexit – 505 days since the referendum and 505 days until Britain should formally leaves the EU, and was tasked to make preparation for the EU Winter Summit in December.

The long-awaited Brexit talks was launched on June 19, nearly one year after British people voted to leave the bloc by a narrow margin on June 23, 2016.

May sent a notification letter to the EU in late March, triggering a two-year countdown to Britain's withdrawal of the bloc after more than 44 years of membership.

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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency