⁍ Britain still believes there must be ‘resolution’ in trade talks with the European Union by the middle of October, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said.

---

⁍ ‘We want a resolution as quickly as possible which is why the PM is talking to Ursula von der Leyen tomorrow to discuss next steps,’ he said.

---

– British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to meet with the European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator on Friday in a bid to break the logjam over Britain’s departure from the bloc, Reuters reports. According to the Telegraph, the meeting will be the first time Johnson has met face-to-face with EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker since Britain voted to leave the EU last year. The meeting will also be the first time Johnson has met with Juncker since he became prime minister. Britain and the EU have been at odds over the details of Britain’s departure from the EU, with Johnson favoring a clean break with the bloc, while the EU has been pushing for an extension to the two-year clock that would allow for a post-Brexit trade deal to be worked out. The British government has said it wants a deal by the middle of October to give businesses time to prepare for the end of the transition period after Britain leaves the EU in March. But on Friday, Johnson’s spokesman said there must be “resolution” in the talks by the middle of October to give businesses time to prepare. “We want a resolution as quickly as possible, which is why the PM is talking to Ursula von der Leyen tomorrow to discuss next steps,” he told reporters. “Our ambition remains the same, but we are also clear that we need to give businesses the time they need to prepare for the end of the transition period, which is why we see the middle of October as an important time to reach an agreement by.”