News of an agreement between the EU and UK has been welcomed by ECR Group Co-chairman Syed Kamall.

He said: "Today's announcement will resonate in every Member State.

"Their economies, security and the prosperity of their citizens are all going to be affected by the kind of agreement the European Union forges with the UK after Brexit.

"With that in mind, I hope the upcoming talks are conducted in a spirit of co-operation not confrontation.  Both sides must see the negotiations for what they are -  the world's biggest trading bloc starting a new relationship with one of the world's largest economies – and not as a recently divorced couple dividing up their possessions.

"As Co-chairman of the ECR Group and a British MEP, I will continue to act as a bridge between London and Brussels,  in order to help secure a deal for a prosperous future for both the UK and the EU."

ENDS

Note to Editor: Syed Kamall is Co-Chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, the third largest Group in the European Parliament and the most senior elected British politician in Brussels.

Press Contact: Robert Taylor, robert.taylor@ep.europa.eu, +32 498 984 760

The ECR was created to take the EU in a new direction, according to the principles of our founding Prague Declaration. It is the third largest group in the European Parliament with 74 MEPs from 18 EU states.

For more information on the ECR, watch our promotional video at http://youtu.be/F5syQt1JuQI or visit our website: www.ecrgroup.eu