Norwegian leader predicts ‘very hard Brexit’
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg says the UK’s long membership of the EU has dulled its international negotiating skills
Seeon, Germany — Britain lacks experience in international negotiations due to its long membership of the European Union (EU) and this can slow talks, the prime minister of non-EU Norway said, adding that she feared "a very hard Brexit". British Prime Minister Theresa May intends to launch by the end of March the two-year process of negotiating to leave the EU. They are expected to be some of the most complicated international talks Britain has engaged in since the Second World War. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said she hoped Britain would be able to negotiate an agreement that keeps it close to the EU but said it would be a difficult task. "And we do feel that sometimes when we are discussing with Britain, that their speed is limited by the fact that it is such a long time since they have negotiated" alone on such issues, she said in an interview late on Wednesday while attending a meeting of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) in southern Germany. "I fear a very har...
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