'Third-Party State': Brexit to Deprive UK of EU Privileges It Enjoyed - Merkel

The United Kingdom will not have the same rights as its EU neighbors after leaving the bloc, Angle Merkel said.

BERLIN (Sputnik) — The United Kingdom will be a "third-party state" once it leaves the European Union and will not be able to enjoy the same rights as members of the bloc, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday ahead of the EU summit on Brexit.

"As a third-party state in relation to the European Union — that is what the United Kingdom will be [after Brexit] — it cannot and will not have the same rights as a member of the European Union," Merkel said, addressing the German parliament.

She stressed that all EU countries had a great mutual understanding regarding key issues of the Brexit talks.

On Saturday, EU leaders will meet to adopt the Brexit guidelines, a month after UK Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 and began the withdrawal process by handing a formal letter to European Council President Donald Tusk.

Calling a European Council on the Brexit process, Tusk said on March 21 that the key priority for the talks will be to create as much clarity as possible for all EU member states, citizens and companies that may be negatively effected by the United Kingdom's exit from the bloc.

London is expected to finish the Brexit negotiations before March 29, 2019.