DHAKA: Serious Brexit talks between United Kingdom and rest of the European Union (EU) countries could take as long as twelve months, a former European Council president predicted.

Herman Van Rompuy has predicted the time of the talks at the end of 2017 during a talk with BBC.

He labeled UK’s decision of quitting EU as ‘political amputation’.

The former Belgian prime minister said negotiations were unlikely until a new German government was formed after next September’s election.

“You can always start with more technical matters, but the hardcore, the difficult topics, will be tackled after the constitution of a new German government and that will be October or November,” he said.

The talks will be tough but hopefully of mutual benefit, he said, adding the UK had to make the ‘first move’.

He denied leaders wanted to ‘punish’ the UK for leaving the EU, but said there was a desire not to encourage other countries to leave.

“Any negotiation will be a difficult negotiation; independent of the personalities Britain had not many friends anymore,” Rompuy added.

Leaders of every European Union country, apart from the UK premier Theresa May, will begin to gather on Thursday in the Slovakian capital Bratislava to discuss the future of the bloc.

BDST: 1553 HRS, SEP 15, 2016
NR/BD