LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will hold face-to-face talks next week in a bid to break the Brexit impasse.
European and British officials say the meeting will take place Monday in Luxembourg. No further details were provided. It comes as lower-level Brexit negotiations have produced few signs of progress as the Oct. 31 deadline for Britain’s departure from the European Union nears.
The key stumbling block remains the so-called Irish backstop, a maneuver to prevent both sides from putting in a hard border between Ireland, which is in the EU, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. British officials fear the backstop could keep Britain tied to EU rules and regulations even after it withdraws from the bloc.
With concerns about the social and economic costs of a “no-deal” Brexit rising, Britain’s Parliament has passed a law saying the prime minister must seek an extension to the Brexit deadline if no deal is reached by mid-October. Johnson has indicated he will not do so, insisting Britain will leave the EU on Oct. 31 even without a divorce deal. (PBS)