European Council President Donald Tusk attends a press conference wih EU commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (not seen) at the end of a two-day EU Summit in Brussels, Belgium, on Oct. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)
BRUSSELS, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Brexit talks have not yet reached any sufficient progress but the progress cannot be denied, European Council President Donald Tusk told reporters on Friday, hoping that the Brexit talks would enter into second phase in December.
His remarks came in a press conference co-chaired with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker after a close-door EU27 roundtable meeting on Brexit without Britain.
"I don't work for a no deal scenario and I want to reach good deal with Britain," said Junker at the conference.
In a conclusion document on Brexit issued by the EU27 following the close-door meeting, the European Council welcomed the progress made regarding citizens' rights and invites the negotiator to build on the convergence achieved to provide the necessary legal certainty and guarantees to all concerned citizens and their family members.
Those citizens and their family members shall be able to exercise directly their rights derived from EU law and protected by the withdrawal agreement, including through smooth and simple administrative procedures and the role of the Court of justice of the EU, said the document.
As regard Ireland, the Council acknowledged that there has been some progress on convergence on principles and objectives regarding protection of the Good Friday Agreement and maintenance of the Common Travel Area.
It invites the Union negotiator to pursue further refinement of these principles, taking into account the major challenge that Britain's withdrawal represents, including as regards avoidance of a hard border, and therefore expecting Britain to present and commit to flexible and imaginative solutions called for by the unique situation of Ireland, said the document.
The document noted that while Britain has stated that it will honor its financial obligations taken during its membership, this has not yet been translated into a firm and concrete commitment from the UK to settle all of these obligations.
While the close-door meeting carrying on, British Prime Minister Theresa May reassured her European colleagues here at a press conference by reiterating Britain's financial commitments to EU, urging the EU27 to give green light to the second phase of Brexit talks at an early date.
"Britain will go through the financial commitments line by line," said May, without giving a specific figure of the "devoice bill".
"We are within touching distance of reaching a deal on citizen rights ... whatever happens we want EU citizens to stay (in Britain)," said May.
