Prague, Sept 22 (CTK) – After leaving the EU, Britain will try to enhance its position of a major global player, but this does not mean that it is turning its back on the EU, British ambassador to Prague Jan Thompson told journalists yesterday.
London is interested in keeping its good relations with Brussels and EU members, Thompson said.
She said Britain was rather optimistic when it came to the future talks on specific conditions of Brexit, but it also expected problems.
Thompson said leaving the EU also meant that Britain would enhance its position of a global player.
Britain is a member of the United Nations Security Council and it has one of the highest defence spending from NATO members, Thompson said, specifying in what she could see the U.K.’s strong position on the world map.
She said Britain was still not turning its back on the EU.
Both the political alliance and economic links with the EU and its members are still substantial for London, Thompson said.
Britain decided to leave the EU in a referendum in June. However, the talks on its departure have not yet started.
New British Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain would not start its departure from the EU this year.
Thompson said Britain, the EU and its members had to be prepared for the difficult process.
In the past six months, a great deal of various consultations took place, she added.
Individual countries, the EU and Britain are clarifying their positions and demands at home, Thompson said.
A clear deadline for the opening of the talks was not yet set, but Britain did not want to postpone the invoking of the relevant article forever, she added.
It is still impossible to say how the relationship will look like after the divorce, Thompson said.
Some say this might be something like the EU and Norway, or the EU and Switzerland, she added.
However, Britain wants its own, British model, Thompson said.
During the negotiations, some topics will appear on which an agreement will be difficult to find, she added.
There will be the search for a balance between the movement of goods and persons and the control of borders and migration, Thompson said.
There will be potholes and barriers on the road, but Britons are quite optimistic, believing that they will overcome the problems, she added.
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