"What we a trying to do is by the end of this year, i hope in October or November, to reach the agreement with the United Kingdom… on the principle of orderly withdrawal," he said at a press conference, noting that it was an agreement on citizens' rights, financial settlement, as well as on the Irish border.
On June 19, the first day of the official negotiations on Brexit, the European Commission and the United Kingdom agreed on the schedule and priorities for future discussions on "divorce," Barnier said then. The three issues listed above relate to the first stage of negotiations. If the necessary progress is achieved at the first stage of the talks, the European Union will be ready to enter the second stage — to discuss the structure of the future partnership of the country and the union.
In general, negotiations on Brexit, with many aspects to be solved, need to be laid in less than two years and come to an agreement no later than by March 30, 2019, according to EU rules. However, the EU directives adopted earlier allow for the possibility of postponing this deadline if the European Council and the United Kingdom unanimously decide to do so.
