Angela Merkel appeared to smirk when asked whether she has learnt anything new about
Theresa May’s
Brexit plans after the pair met in
Berlin for crunch talks.
The German Chancellor was asked whether she “learnt anything today” about what Britain wants in the next stage of Brexit negotiations with the EU.
Ahead of the meeting today a spokesman for the German Chancellor said "time is running out" for Britain to put forward its demands for the second round of Brexit talks.
Mrs Merkel appeared relaxed at a press conference following a meeting with Mrs May and even appeared to smirk when asked about Britain's ambitions for Brexit.
The reporter asked: “Chancellor Merkel, did you again ask the Prime Minister ‘what does Britain want?’
“And did you learn anything today that you didn’t know yesterday?”
The German Chancellor appeared to smirk before she answered the question.
Angela Merkel said: “Well first of all let me say that I am not frustrated at all.
“I am just curious how Britain envisages this future partnership and obviously we also have our own vested interests, as regards for example, economic commitments.
“We would like to persevere this close partnership and maybe both sides in a way are in a process of learning, of trying to find out where we find common ground.
“For this what we need is a permanent exchange because we sometimes don’t know how our opposite number is seeing things and I think this is a very candid exchange that we have had, well we need to have further exchanges, but frustration doesn’t at all describe it appropriately.”
During her press conference Mrs Merkel said she still “deplored” Britain’s decision to leave the
European Union.
She said: “We basically have not changed our stance on Britain leaving the European Union.
“In fact, we deplore it but we want to have a constructive position because we want to have as close as possible partnership with Britain after they have left the European Union. Both economically and politically.”
The German Chancellor added Britain’s relationship with the EU after Brexit will be "as close as possible but it is a difference" to what the UK has as a member.
Speaking during the press conference, Mrs May set out how the UK would enter the next phase of the Brexit negotiations, hoping to ensure businesses could still trade easily between
Germany and Britain.
She said: “It’s not only in the defence of our shared values that the UK and Germany rely on each other.
“Trade between our nations secures and generates hundreds and thousands of jobs in both countries. With hard work, enterprise and innovation at its foundation.
“We have referred in our discussion to the UK’s vision to a bold and ambitious economic partnership once the uK leaves the European Union.
“I want to ensure that UK companies have the maximum freedom to trade and to operate in German markets and for German businesses to do the same in the UK.”
In the meeting today Mrs May and Mrs Merkel also discussed setting out the "security partnership" they want to maintain between Britain and the EU.