MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The EU could delay the signing of the trade agreement with the UK thanks to its legal procedures, Johnson said.
"Time is [an issue.] You’re right. It depends how our friends and partners choose to handle it. They can play it long, they have electoral considerations, as everybody knows. I think there’s every reason why we [should] go this full tilt and get it done within two years. But let’s see how it goes," Johnson said during the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) annual conference, as cited by the Guardian newspaper.
Both France and Germany are facing upcoming national elections in 2017.
On February 27, the BCC stated that the Brexit should be postponed in case the government was not able to agree on a trade deal within two years.
May’s government plans to trigger the Article 50 of the EU Lisbon Treaty by the end of March, thus beginning withdrawal negotiations.
In January's 12-point Brexit plan, May underlined the government would not seek to stay in the EU single market but would pursue a post-Brexit free trade deal with the bloc. The government also made plans to boost international trade with partners outside Europe.
