A member of the EU team has tested positive for Covid-19.
This development has made the EU and UK chief negotiators step back from post-Brexit trade talk.
According to EU’s Michel Barnier, his UK counterpart Lord David Frost had agreed to suspend negotiations between them for a “short period”, BBC reports.
Speaking further, Mr. Barnier stated that their teams would continue discussions in “full respect” of safety guidelines.
As December deadline edges closer, both sides are seeking an agreement to govern their trading relationship once the UK’s post-Brexit transition period ends in January 2021.
Meanwhile, fishing rights, competition rules and how any deal would be enforced remain key areas of disagreement.
In a tweet, on Thursday, Mr Barnier revealed that a member of his negotiating team had tested positive for the virus, as talks over a deal continued in Brussels.
In his words, “With David Frost, we have decided to suspend the negotiations at our level for a short period,”
In reply, Lord Frost said he was in “close contact with Michel Barnier about the situation,” and “the health of our teams comes first”.
