European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker demands Britain pay EU debt

According to Reuters, European Commission (EC) President Jean-Claude Juncker affirmed on October 13 that Britain must commit to paying what it owes to the European Union (EU), before it can begin negotiations on its future relationship with the bloc after Brexit.

Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker.

Speaking in Luxembourg, the EC President said: "Like us, the UK will see new problems emerging every day. That is why this process will take longer than initially thought. We cannot reach a real compromise as long as the UK's existing financial commitments are of concern."

"Because we cannot do this, we will not be able to say at the European Council in October that we can now move to phase two of the negotiations. They have to pay, and not in an impossible way. I am not in a vindictive mood. I do not hate the British," said Jean-Claude Juncker.

The EU has told Britain that next week's summit will conclude that talks have not made enough progress for Brussels to open talks on a future trade deal, something London had hoped and pushed for at the summit./.

According to Vietnamplus