WEB DESK
European Union leaders today approved guidelines for the negotiation of future relations with the UK after Brexit. The text on trade, security and other issues was adopted within minutes in Brussels, clearing the way for the next phase of Brexit talks to get underway.
The UK is due to leave in March 2019 and negotiators have said they want a deal in place by the end of the year.
Prime Minister Theresa May said she believed there was a new spirit of co-operation and opportunity.
The formal adoption of the guidelines, although widely expected, is seen as another key step as the Brexit process gathers momentum.