UK Confident It Can Move On To Next Phase Of Brexit Talks By October

LONDON: Britain is confident it will have made enough progress in exit negotiations with the European Union by October to move on to talks about the future relationship with the bloc, the Brexit department said on Thursday.

The EU's top negotiator has said talks between Britain and the EU on the future relationship are now less likely to start in October because of a lack of progress on Brexit divorce issues so far, including over a financial settlement.

"We have already made good progress on a number of issues, ... government officials are working at pace and we are confident we will have made sufficient progress by October to advance the talks to the next phase," a spokesman for Britain's Brexit department said.

"On the financial settlement, we have been clear that we recognise the UK has obligations to the EU and that the EU also has obligations to the UK."