Boris Johnson will meet EU Commission boss Ursula von der Leyen for first post-Brexit trade talks next week
BORIS Johnson and the EU Commission chief will exchange the first blows in post-Brexit trade talks in London next week.
The PM will meet Ursula von der Leyen at No10 on Wednesday.
It comes hours after she gives a speech on Brussels’ vision for the future partnership.
Their meeting will represent the opening salvo of 11 frantic months of negotiations and is set to lay bare the chasm between the two sides.
In the morning Mrs von der Leyen will speak at the London School of Economics on the EU’s hope for a close relationship.
She will then head to Downing St for her first face-to-face talks with the PM. Mr Johnson has vowed to break free from EU laws.
He has also ruled out extending the transition but Brussels chiefs insist more time is needed.
On the same day, EU diplomats gather in Brussels for the first of eight meetings in just 12 days to nail down the bloc’s red lines.
On Friday capitals are expected to decide if UK rules on personal data and financial services are strong enough for close cooperation.
The following week they will set out terms for trade in goods and services, including demanding a level playing field in return for tariff-free access.
Member states are also set to insist on reciprocal access to UK fishing waters as part of a trade deal. And there will be a crucial discussion on immigration — with the EU pushing for as much access for its citizens to the UK after Brexit as possible.
The talks will culminate at the end of the month.
Negotiations between the two sides will then open late next month or at the beginning of March, with rounds to be split between Brussels and London.
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