British Prime Minister Theresa
May said Friday that the UK wants to be EU's "strongest friend
and partner" after it leaves the bloc in a hotly awaited speech
on Brexit in Florence.
Britain may be leaving the EU, "but we are not leaving
Europe", she said in an address aiming a breaking the deadlock
in the Brexit negotiations.
May said that a Brexit "implementation period" is in the
"interest" of both the UK and the EU.
During this period, the UK would stay in the single market
and respect its financial commitments to the EU.
This would entail Britain paying around 20 billion euros into
the EU coffers in this period, according to media reports.
She added that the rights of EU citizens in the UK will be
fully guaranteed after Brexit.
"I'm clear the guarantee giving on your rights is real," she
said, adding that a special mechanism needed to be found so that
disputes are not left exclusively to UK courts or the European
ones.
"I want to incorporate our agreement fully into UK law and
make sure UK courts can refer directly to it," she said.
"When there is uncertainty around underlying EU law, I want
the UK courts to be able to take into account the judgment in
European Court of Justice with a view to ensuring consistent
interpretation".
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