UK Brexit Secretary Confident of Reaching Brexit Deal With EU by Fall's End

LONDON (Sputnik) – UK Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said on Tuesday that she was confident of reaching the Brexit deal with the European Union this fall.

"I remain confident we will reach a deal this autumn … [It is] time for the EU to match the pragmatism we have shown," Raab said, as quoted by the Sky News broadcaster.

The Brexit secretary pointed out that the final few weeks of the Brexit talks were "always going to be tough."

At the same time, Raab noted that the United Kingdom was speeding up preparations for the no-deal scenario of Brexit and confirmed that the EU citizens’ rights would be "unilaterally protected" regardless of the outcome of the negotiating process.

In June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. Although Brexit is scheduled for late March 2019, London and Brussels still cannot agree on a number of key issues, including the Irish border and customs arrangements, making a no-deal scenario a possibility.

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