On 2 May, Minister-president Geert Bourgeois met with Michel Barnier, Chief Negotiator of the European Commission for Brexit. The Minister-president emphasized the importance of unity among the 27 EU Member States after Brexit. He equally stressed the importance of maintaining close relations between Flanders and the United Kingdom, especially at the economic level.
During the brexit negotiations - which will take two years - Flanders will focus on rights for EU and UK citizens on their respective territories. Flanders will also closely monitor the agreement on the financial settlement of the withdrawal and the terms of payment.
Minister-president Bourgeois has underlined with Chief negotiator Barnier to pay close attention to future relations with the UK during the upcoming negotiations. Economic interests - especially for the North Sea countries - are enormous and demand clear agreements.