Von der Leyen: EU and UK to launch talks on future relationship ‘ASAP’

Johnson has vowed to outlaw any extension to the 11-month transition period.

LONDON — The U.K. and the EU will begin negotiations on their future trading relationship as soon as possible, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Von der Leyen and Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke by phone on Tuesday morning and the pair agreed to set the ball rolling on talks.

“We agreed to launch negotiations asap on future EU-U.K. partnership,” von der Leyen said on Twitter. “We will meet at the beginning of 2020. The U.K. will always be a friend, partner and ally.”

Downing Street said the pair agreed to work on reaching a deal by the current transition deadline of December 31, 2020. “The president congratulated the prime minister on his success in the election and they agreed to work together with great energy to agree a future partnership by December 2020,” a spokesman said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Johnson vowed to make an extension to negotiations at the end of the post-Brexit transition period illegal. The Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which is expected to come before the House of Commons on Friday, will include a clause banning any extension if a deal has not been reached.

That raises the possibility of a no-deal crash-out at the end of the post-Brexit transition period.