UK Brexit Minister of State Rules Out Departure Process Extension

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - The United Kingdom's departure from the European Union is an irreversible process and the country will leave the bloc on March 29, Martin Callanan, the UK minister of state for exiting the European Union, ruling out any extension of the Brexit process.

"The policy of the government is that Article 50 will not be extended. We are leaving the European Union on March 29 this year because that is what Article 50 says, that is what parliament voted for and that is now what domestic British legislation says as well", Callanan said ahead of the General Affairs Council in Brussels.

READ MORE: UK Citizens Need Not Leave Germany Urgently in Case of No-Deal Brexit — Berlin

Callanan also confirmed that the vote on the draft deal will be held in the UK House of Commons next week.

"We’re all focused in the government on winning parliamentary support in the vote that’s coming up next week", Callanan added.

The comment was made after on Sunday UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that the vote on the draft document would be held on January 14-15. A day later, European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said that the agreed agreement between London and Brussels was the only possible one, adding that the European Union would not revise it.

In October, the UK government and the European Union agreed on the text of draft Brexit legislation. However, as early as in December the UK authorities said they intensified preparations for a no deal Brexit and postponed the vote on the deal in the country's parliament since many lawmakers called for the deal's renegotiating.