Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, will travel to Brussels on Monday with a target of agreeing a deal with the EU on the post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland by the end of February.
The two sides have agreed that a window of opportunity for an agreement will close when campaigning starts for May’s elections to the Northern Ireland assembly.
Maroš Šefčovič, the EU’s Brexit commissioner, who will host Truss in Brussels on Monday, told MEPs in a private briefing there had been a positive tone to his discussions with the foreign secretary at her official country residence last week. Truss took over responsibility for Brexit issues after David Frost’s resignation in January.
But for all that Truss had expressed confidence she would be able to build momentum in favour of a deal, Šefčovič said there was as yet no sign of a change in the UK’s negotiating positions.
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