Ursula von der Leyen and Boris Johnson spoke about the state of play in the negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU. They agreed on the importance of finding an agreement, if at all possible, as a strong basis for a strategic EU-UK relationship in future. They endorsed the assessment of both Chief Negotiators (see items above) that progress had been made in recent weeks but that significant gaps remained, notably but not only in the areas of fisheries, the level playing field, and governance.

They instructed their Chief Negotiators to work intensively in order to try to bridge those gaps and agreed to speak on a regular basis. For a link to the statement in full, click here.