Slovenian hails Brexit deal, eyes further cooperation with Britain

LJUBLJANA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec has welcomed the Brexit deal reached on Friday between Britain and the European Commission, wishing close cooperation with the UK after its exit from the European Union (EU).

Erjavec said initial information indicated a deal had been reached that would serve as a basis for talks on post-Brexit cooperation between the EU and Britain, according to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).

He said that Slovenia's position would be to preserve close cooperation between the EU and the UK after Brexit, and that various models of cooperation were possible.

The minister believes there are enough shared interests in future cooperation regardless of the UK leaving the bloc, in particular in the fields of security and defence, stressing that the UK is very important for the EU's security and defence.

EU leaders will decide on the deal next week, said the STA report, and if they endorse the recommendation that sufficient progress had been made on the rights of EU citizens, divorce bill and the Irish border, Brexit talks can move to the next phase. Enditem