Italy Says EU Must Stay at Brexit Negotiating Table to Seek Deal

(Bloomberg) -- Italy insisted the European Union shouldn’t pull out of trade talks with the U.K. despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan to renege on parts of the Brexit divorce accord.

Vincenzo Amendola, Italy’s minister for European affairs, said in an interview that “it is in everyone’s interest to reach an accord,” adding that the global economic crisis added an extra incentive to establish a basis for cooperation with the U.K. on trade, security and other issues.

“We are tough negotiators but also we are working to find a way out, always,” Amendola, of the center-left Democratic Party, said at his Rome office on Tuesday. He said Italy would “absolutely not” consider pulling out of the negotiations.

Johnson’s plan to revoke some British commitments over the Irish border passed its first vote in Parliament late Monday with MPs giving initial backing to the Internal Market Bill, which will rewrite part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

The British premier’s decision to rip up part of an international agreement that he himself signed less than a year ago has pitched the Brexit talks into turmoil. Negotiating teams are battling to stitch together a trade deal with the bloc before the Brexit transition period expires at the end of the year. The EU has threatened legal action and called on Johnson to withdraw the bill by the end of the month.

“Our friends in London must realize that Europe is united,” said Amendola, 46, adding that Italy would always fully support Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator. “There will be no disruption to this unity, but we need to negotiate fast and efficiently because regaining economic confidence in the U.K. and in Europe is linked to a speedy accord.”

Asked what the EU should do if the U.K. does not back down, Amendola replied only that the bloc has clear processes for managing its agreements with other countries.

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