London (AFP)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Sunday that a failure in post-Brexit trade talks with the European Union remained the "most likely" scenario despite the UK and EU's decision to continue their talks.
"I have to repeat that the most likely thing now is of course that we have to prepare for (a Brexit) on World Trade Organization terms" on January 1, the Tory leader said on British television.
Without a trade agreement, trade with the EU will be carried out under WTO rules alone, synonymous with customs duties or quotas, at the risk of a new shock for economies already weakened by the coronavirus.
Even if a "no deal" is not what London intended, "we have made tremendous preparations" for that eventuality, Boris Johnson said, reiterating his belief, whether it is okay or not, "it doesn't matter what. 'it happens, the UK will be very, very well ".
The discussions stumble on three subjects: the access of European fishermen to British waters, the way of settling disputes in the future agreement and above all the conditions that Europeans demand of the British to avoid any unfair competition.
"I'm afraid we are still a long way off on some key points, but where there is life there is hope," said Boris Johnson.
"People expect us to go the extra mile," he added.
“We're going to keep trying and we're going to try with all of our hearts and we'll be as creative as possible,” said Boris Johnson.
© 2020 AFP