Tusk: EU Leaders Endorse Deal, Political Declaration on Post-Brexit Ties With UK

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The leaders of 27 EU member states have endorsed the agreement and the political declaration regulating relations with the United Kingdom after the upcoming Brexit, President of the European Council Donald Tusk said on Sunday.

"EU27 has endorsed the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration on the future EU-UK relations," Tusk said via his official Twitter feed, less than an hour after the beginning of the EU leaders summit in Brussels.

Earlier in the day, the EU leaders held a special meeting on Brexit in Brussels. It took them less than an hour to formally endorse the Brexit withdrawal agreement and the political declaration regulating post-Brexit relations with the United Kingdom.

According to the European Council, the agreement will come into force on March, 30, 2019, to provide for an "orderly" withdrawal. Within the declaration, the United Kingdom and the European Union will maintain their close partnership.