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German chancellor urges British PM to start Brexit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right) and British Prime Minister Theresa May

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged British Prime Minister Theresa May to start talks regarding Britain's exit from the European Union, known as Brexit.

Merkel said on Friday that Brexit negotiations should start as scheduled in nine days' time.

She added that the European Union wanted the talks to progress quickly.

Merkel’s comments follow the diminished authority for May caused by the UK’s June 8 election.

May had called for the snap election confident to gain additional seats in parliament for the ruling Conservative Party to strengthen her position in the upcoming Brexit talks.

Instead, her party lost seats in the elections, down from 330 to 318.

The dire results for May prompted countries affected by Brexit to question whether May would now deliver the promised Brexit on schedule.

In a letter on Friday, European Council President Donald Tusk stressed the Brexit talks must start as soon as possible, emphasizing that there was "no time to lose."

In the letter addressed to UK's May, Tusk said the “urgent task now is to conduct the negotiations on the UK's withdrawal from the European Union".

British Prime Minister Theresa May (left) and European Council President Donald Tusk outside 10 Downing Street, London. (Photo by Reuters)

"The timeframe set by Article 50 of the Treaty leaves us with no time to lose," he pressed.

Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, also emphasized the urgency of wrapping up Brexit in the shortest time possible.

"As far as the Commission is concerned we can open negotiations tomorrow morning at half past nine," Juncker said jokingly on Friday.


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