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Czech Republic backs British initiative to postpone Brexit

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis pointed out that he didn’t know the contents of the UK extension request

PRAGUE, March 20. /TASS/. Prague will support the UK’s request for a Brexit extension, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said at a meeting with the Czech Parliament’s lower chamber on Wednesday, the legislature’s press service informed TASS.

"This week the Czech Republic will support the UK’s request for an extension on Brexit in the European Council. I cannot imagine any EU member blocking the British initiative so that Great Britain would have to leave the organization without signing a [corresponding] deal with it. A No-deal Brexit is the worst case scenario," the prime minister believes.

Babis also pointed out that he didn’t know the contents of the UK extension request.

The British Parliament recently supported the government’s motion to put off the date when the United Kingdom was to leave the European Union until later. Now the British Government has to send a formal request to the EU asking for a so-called technical extension to Brexit, should the House of Commons adopt the Brexit deal that Prime Minister Theresa May clinched in talks with Brussels before March 20. If the deal is rejected, the government will request a longer Brexit extension, and its timetable would have to be negotiated with the EU.

The Brexit talks have been going on for almost two years since March 29, 2017, when the UK formally notified the European Council about its intention to leave the EU.