Merkel to host May in Berlin for Brexit talks

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host British Prime Minister Theresa May in Berlin on Tuesday, a day before a special EU summit is set to take place.

Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said on Monday the two leaders are set to discuss Brexit, but did not give any indication as to Germany's stance regarding May's proposal to delay Brexit to June 30.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Monday that he had spoken with May on the telephone about the June 30 proposal, writing on Twitter that "a positivedecision hinges also on assurances from UK on sincere cooperation."

Rutte's comment could be in relation to Brexiter Jacob Rees-Mogg's comment on Friday that the UK "should be as difficult as possible" if the country gets "stuck in the EU."

Read more: No-deal Brexit means higher EU bills for Germany

Later Tuesday, May is to travel to Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron, his office said on Monday.

Britain is currently scheduled to begin the withdrawal process from the EU on Friday after May's draft Brexit deal was voted down a third time in the British Parliament. The Conservative politician's talks with Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour party, have thus far not brought about a compromise.

The EU's top Brexit negotiators, Michel Barnier, said during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar that the bloc was open to "a range of outcomes, including a customs union," in a nod to what Labour might seek from a compromise.

On Friday, May asked for the EU to delay the UK's withdrawal from the bloc until June 30. EU leaders are set to vote on the proposal at a special summit in Brussels on Wednesday.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said May "is leaving no stone unturned to try to resolve Brexit." He added that the other 27 EU leaders "want Brexit to be resolved as quickly as possible. So do we."

dv/ng (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)

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