UK Agrees to Extend Ratification of Post-Brexit Deal Until 30 April

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The UK government has agreed to push the ratification deadline for the post-Brexit deal with the European Union back to 30 April from 28 February after the bloc asked it for more time, a minister for the Cabinet Office said Tuesday.

"I can confirm that the United Kingdom is content to agree to that the date on which provisional application shall cease to apply … should be extended to 30 April 2021," Michael Gove wrote in a letter.

European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic, who co-chairs the EU-UK partnership council on trade and cooperation, asked his British counterpart Michael Gove on Friday to extend the date in order to give the bloc more time to complete internal procedures.

Gove said that the UK expected there to be no further delays in the formal ratification of the deal on the future of UK-EU ties. He said the UK cabinet was against its provisional application due to the uncertainty it created. The agreement came into effect on 1 January.