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| - The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier warned on Friday of serious differences remaining with Britain at the end of the latest round of post-Brexit trade talks. After the last scheduled round of negotiations in Brussels, he warned of "persistent, serious divergences on matters of major importance for the European Union." Though he noted some "points of convergence" on certain issues, Barnier once again stressed the lack of progress on the most difficult points, including fishing rights and rules governing state aid to companies after the deal. "To reach an agreement, these divergences must necessarily be overcome over the next weeks," Barnier added, without announcing further rounds of talks. UK chief negotiator David Frost said the week's talks took place in a "good spirit", though he said time is running out with big differences remaining. "For our part, we continue to be fully committed to working hard to find solutions, if they are there to be found," he added. Next steps may be determined on Saturday in a video conference between European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson. London and Brussels said that conversation would take stock of progress made in the latest round of talks. "It's good to have a deal, but not at any price," von der Leyen said at the end of an EU summit in which Brexit was briefly discussed by the bloc's 27 leaders. "This is so difficult, but overall where there is a will there is a way. I think we should intensify the negotiations," von der Leyen told reporters. After the summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she believed a deal was still possible, though she said that the next days would be crucial. Barnier will visit Merkel on Monday with Germany currently holding the EU's six-month rotating presidency. "As long as negotiations continue, I am optimistic," said Merkel. But she could "not announce a breakthrough as a matter of course either. That will be decided in the next few days." Britain and Europe still disagree on how to assign fishing rights in UK waters and how to maintain a so-called level playing field in business and state subsidy regulations. Diplomats say that the British side has been pushing for the negotiations to head into a "tunnel" -- diplomatic jargon for a closed door, secretive dash to the finish line, allowing negotiators to make concessions without public pressure. But European officials say the time is not right, as they are yet to be convinced that Johnson can be trusted to budge. "We're not there yet, we're not coming in to land, we're not at the tunnel," one said. The von der Leyen and Johnson call also follows the launch of a legal proceeding by Brussels in response to the British government's attempt to overturn parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. On Tuesday, British MPs backed a bill to regulate the UK's internal market from January 1, when Britain completes its post-Brexit transition period and leaves the EU single market and customs union. Johnson has pushed on with the legislation -- despite concerns in his own party and a warning from Washington that it puts Irish peace at risk. Asked her reaction to the law, Merkel said: "This is bitter, I must say." The row over the bill has not scuppered the trade talks, but increased doubts among the Europeans that Johnson is pursuing the deal. bur-arp/dc/erc
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