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Six pages of talking points distributed to government officials detail the main messages to be communicated to outside parties, including German “regret” at the U.K.’s decision to quit the EU. However, Germany’s “foremost priority” during and after the negotiations with the U.K. is the continued unity of the 27 remaining EU nations, according to the document drafted by the German Foreign Ministry and obtained by Bloomberg News.
“We must not let ourselves be divided,” the German government says in the document, dated March 9, and which contains key points in both German and English.
EU leaders, minus Prime Minister Theresa May, will devote the second day of a summit in Brussels on Friday to discuss the future of the bloc without the U.K. The Foreign Ministry in Berlin had no comment when contacted by phone about the document. [...]
The German document says that officials should make clear there must be a difference between membership of the EU and the free-trade agreement the U.K. is seeking post-Brexit. Regardless of the deal reached, “Brexit will mean less cooperation and economic integration compared to EU membership,” and the U.K will be treated as a “third country,” it says.
“Brexit thus becomes a step backward which will have an effect on Britain,” according to the document. [...]
The EU is ready to be constructive and expects the same “loyalty” from Britain, according to the German document.
While the German government says it’s important to reach a deal on the future relationship between the EU and U.K., there’s still no consensus on whether the negotiations can start on that before the terms of Britain’s withdrawal are agreed on. [...]