EU, Britain Signs the Bilateral Agreement Before the Deadline

JAKARTA (TheInsiderStories) - After intensive negotiations, the European Commission has reached an agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) on the terms of its future cooperation with the European Union (EU). At the same day, the block also signed a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China to balance both relations.

“Finally, we can leave Brexit behind us and look to the future. Europe is now moving on,” said the president, Ursula von der Leyen, in an official statement on Wednesda (12/30).

While, the commission’ chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, commented : “We have now come to the end of a very intensive four-year period, particularly over the past nine months, during which we negotiated the UK’ orderly withdrawal from the EU and a brand new partnership, which we have finally agreed today.”

Parallel with the signing, British lawmakers also give the blessing on the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson’ post-Brexit deal with the EU, after Queen Elizabeth gave final approval to the legislation. Total trading of the neighboring countries is estimating nearly to US$1 trillion of annual trade.

“In less than 48 hours, we will leave the EU single market and the customs union, as we promised, and yet British exporters will not face a sudden thicket of trade barriers, but rather, for the first time in the history of EU agreements, zero tariffs and zero quotas,” he told the house speakers.

He hoped to work “hand in glove” with the EU when its interests aligned, using Britain’ new-found sovereignty to reshape the country’ economy.