translated from Spanish: EU: Increases likelihood of Brexit deal

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union announced Friday that talks with Britain for a friendly divorce are on track again, despite enormous challenges and a deadline that is due at the end of this month for the British to leave the bloc. European Council President Donald Tusk said he has “received promising signs” from Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar that it is still possible to reach an agreement for Brexit, so he extended the deadline for further dialogue.

Tusk, who spoke in Nicosia, said that “for the first time” Varadkar and British Premier Boris Johnson saw a path to compromise. He said that “even the lightest opportunity must be used” to achieve it. Tusk had initially said that he planned to end the talks today, but now believes that talks can continue over the weekend and until the two-day summit that begins on Thursday.” There is no guarantee of success and time is almost up,” Tusk said, but insisted that the parties must take advantage of all available opportunities by October 31, the date of completion of the departure.” A Brexit without agreement will never be the EU’s choice,” Tusk added.Amid the new optimism, British Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay received a cordial welcome from European negotiator Michel Barnier by starting two hours of talks breakfast time. The main obstacle remains how to resolve the only land border between the UK and the EU, which divides Northern Ireland from the Republic of Ireland.The challenge of keeping the border invisible, which has served as both the basis for the local economy with or the regional peace agreement, dominates the Brexit discussions since the UK voted the exit in 2016.A way to avoid a sharp exit, which would hit the British and European economies hard, would be to extend the 31 October deadline to allow time for Drafting the details of a binding agreement, but Johnson has insisted that Britain must come out on 31 October “yes or yes”: with or without agreement. In Paris, French Minister for European Affairs Amélie de Montchalin argued that an undealed Brexit “is likely at this point.” De Montchalin told radio France Inter that it sees no obvious reason to give the UK a longer deadline.” I have a fundamental question: why give more time. If it’s time for the sake of time, it’s been a year, even three years and we don’t make it,” she said.

Original source in Spanish