Sweden welcomes the Brexit agreement

“I feel relieved. On Monday, it looked very critical and it was because Theresa May had not anchored the border issue at DUP. Then it looked like it was very close to bursting, but now we also have an agreedäment on the very complicated Ireland situation”, says Ann Linde Swedish Minister for EU Affairs and Trade

Next week Heads of State and Government of the EU will meet to decide on today’s agreement. Ann Linde believes it will be supported.

Then two parallel processes follow. One should negotiate how Britain’s relationship with the EU will look the first two years after its retirement on March 29, 2019, when the British want to see a transitional arrangement.

But at the same time you will also have to solve the issue on how the British relationship with the Union will look when left completely.

“We should remember that, as we are so happy today, three questions were the prerequisite for being able to negotiate. It is about a very large trade agreement, the largest ever negotiated by the EU, which adds cooperation on terrorism, climate, foreign policy and such matters. It will be an unremitting effort to get such an agreement”.

Ann Linde believes that the agreement is of great importance to Swedish citizens.

“Sweden has huge trade relations with the UK and a large part of our exports go there. If we do not get good rules, it affects companies but also growth and jobs in Sweden. It is especially important for the 100,000 Swedes living in Britain”. There is still some way to go, but tonight we celebrate.