Press release: PM meeting with Prime Minister Andrej Babis of the Czech Republic: 27 July 2018

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

The two leaders began with an update on Brexit with the PM setting out the proposals in the UK’s White Paper with the government’s proposals for a future relationship with the EU.

She highlighted that a UK-EU free trade area would maintain frictionless trade that would enable businesses across Europe to maintain their vital integrated supply chains.

They agreed it was important to find a solution and that negotiations should continue at pace.

Prime Minister Babis commented that migration continues to be a pressing issue for Europe. The leaders agreed that it was important to tackle the issue on a number of fronts – including tackling unscrupulous people smuggling gangs and improving communication efforts to ensure that people did not undertake perilous journeys in the first place.

The leaders also discussed the recent meeting between President Trump and President Juncker on US-EU trade, welcoming the progress they made.

They closed by reaffirming their commitment to an ongoing close bilateral relationship between the UK and the Czech Republic.