- Title: Brexit deal in 18 months is ample time, Johnson says at NATO
- Date: 6th December 2016
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 6, 2016) (REUTERS) CHRISTMAS TREE NEXT TO NATO MEMBER FLAGS OUTSIDE NATO HEADQUARTERS SECURITY PEOPLE WALKING OUTSIDE NATO'S MAIN ENTRANCE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY, BORIS JOHNSON, ARRIVING, APPROACHING REPORTERS CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY, BORIS JOHNSON, SAYING: "I think that with a fair wind and everybody acting in a positive and a compromising mood, as I am sure they will, we can get a great deal for the UK and for the rest of Europe within that time frame. I see no reason why not, at all. And we are going to get on and do, as the Prime Minister (Theresa May) has said, a deal that makes a great success of Brexit, and that time frame seems to me to be absolutely ample." MILITARY AND CIVIL NATO STAFF AT ENTRANCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY, BORIS JOHNSON, SAYING IN RESPONSE TO QUESTION ON WHETHER NATO NEEDS TO GET TOUGHER, AND IN PARTICULAR OVER RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN'S ACTIONS IN SYRIA: "I think it is very important for everybody, for the entire alliance, to recognise that, what non-NATO, and I won't identify any particular adversary, but what they respond to badly is irresolution and what they respond to well is firmness. And firmness is what we are going to show." VARIOUS OF U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, JOHN KERRY, SEEN THROUGH GLASS DOOR AT NATO ENTRANCE KERRY ARRIVING, APPROACHING REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, JOHN KERRY, SAYING IN RESPONSE TO QUESTION ON WHAT HE EXPECTS FROM THE NATO MEETING: "I hope a very constructive conversation about the importance of NATO. And our commitment too many enterprises that we are working on together, ranging from Afghanistan to counter-terrorism, to the operations in the Aegean with respect to migrants, the frontline state reassurance programme - there is an enormous amount on the agenda. But the real effort today is to reinforce with everybody how important NATO is, the relationship with NATO and how we need to come together to make sure there is a strong Europe, a strong NATO, and that the values and the interests that we all share, we are continuing to work on together. And I think that unity is very, very important." KERRY ENTERING NATO TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER, MEVLUT CAVUSOGLU, ARRIVING NATO MILITARY OFFICIAL AT ARRIVALS HALL GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER, NIKOS KOTZIAS, ARRIVING GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, ARRIVING, APPROACHING REPORTERS CAMERAMEN, REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, SAYING: "In a situation like this with a changing security environment it is a good thing for NATO just as well as for the European Union to combine efforts and go looking for synergies wherever possible. This is why I am glad that the lengthy talks about a closer cooperation between NATO and EU have been successful." SECURITY AT NATO ENTRANCE STEINMEIER ENTERING NATO
- Embargoed: 21st December 2016 15:00
- Keywords: NATO UK Johnson Brexit Barnier EU foreign ministers Kerry
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- City: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Reuters ID: LVA0015BQYVYF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said a Brexit deal in 18 months is ample time as he arrived at a NATO meeting in Brussels on Tuesday (December 6).
His comments came after the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said earlier on Tuesday the two-year deadline for final withdrawal fixed in Article 50 of the EU treaty meant there would be less than 18 months to run negotiations themselves.
Barnier set a target of agreeing a Brexit deal with Britain by October 2018, assuming London keeps a promise to formally launch the process of leaving the EU by the end of March.
"I think that with a fair wind and everybody acting in a positive and a compromising mood, as I am sure they will, we can get a great deal for the UK and for the rest of Europe within that time frame. I see no reason why not, at all. And we are going to get on and do, as the Prime Minister (Theresa May) has said, a deal that makes a great success of Brexit, and that time frame seems to me to be absolutely ample," Johnson told reporters as he arrived for the NATO meeting of foreign ministers.
The alliance's foreign ministers are expected to agree to a set of 40 concrete proposals to boost cooperation between NATO and the EU, including on so-called 'hybrid' threats, boosting cyber defence and working together at sea.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he hoped the NATO meeting would be a constructive conversation "about the importance of NATO", adding:
"And our commitment too many enterprises that we are working on together, ranging from Afghanistan to counter-terrorism, to the operations in the Aegean with respect to migrants, the frontline state reassurance programme -there is an enormous amount on the agenda. But the real effort today is to reinforce how important NATO is, the relationship with NATO, how we need to come together to make sure there is a strong Europe, a strong NATO, and that the values and the interests that we all share, we are continuing to work on together. And I think that unity is very, very important."
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters NATO-EU cooperation was key to security.
"In a situation like this with a changing security environment it is a good thing for NATO just as well as for the European Union to combine efforts and go looking for synergies wherever possible. This is why I am glad that the lengthy talks about a closer cooperation between NATO and EU have been successful," he said.
On Wednesday (December 7), ministers will meet for a second day to discuss NATO's training mission in Afghanistan. They will also hold a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission with the country's Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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