Albania joins SEPA, paving way for EU integration
Albania officially became a member of the Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA) on November 21, 2024, the Bank of Albania (BoA) has announced.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold talks with his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar later this week in a last-ditch attempt to avoid a no-deal Brexit, according to Drowning Street spokesman on Tuesday.
Johnson and the Irish prime minister spoke over the telephone for about 40 minutes, the Xinhua news agency reported.
“Both sides strongly reiterated their desire to reach a Brexit deal,” Johnson’s spokesman said.
Advertisement
“They hope to meet in person later this week”, the spokesman added.
The meeting is most likely to happen on Thursday or Friday, Johnson’s office said.
“I came here in the confident hope of hearing proposals which could take negotiations forward,” he said.
“However, I must note that there has been no progress” toward agreeing to a new deal between Britain and the European Union ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline”, he added.
Johnson vowed to take his country out of the European Union on Oct. 31, with or without a deal.
Last week, Ireland Prime Minister Leo Varadkar also said that “a deal is still possible” but the EU does not believe the current proposals from Johnson “form the basis for deeper negotiations”.
The EU is concerned that the UK wants to leave too many details about customs and regulatory checks to be agreed during the transition period after Brexit.
On Saturday, Johnson had claimed that his Brexit proposal picked up support in Parliament as he urged the European Union (EU) to compromise.
Johnson said his untested plan to use technology to eliminate customs border checks would take the UK out of EU trade rules while respecting the Northern Ireland peace process.
Last month, Johnson visited New York, where he attended United Nations General Assembly and said that he will not bring any Brexit breakthrough.
Advertisement
