The Guardian reports:
Brexit talks have begun in Brussels. The lead negotiators, David Davis and Michel Barnier, representing the UK and the European commission respectively, posed for the cameras before several hours of initial discussions.
Amid concerns that political uncertainty in Britain could delay meaningful negotiations, the two leaders stressed their opening day on Monday would mainly deal with the timing and structure of the divorce talks, which the EU insists cannot yet deal with issues of trade.
Barnier and Davis, who last met briefly in November, appeared relaxed and were on first-name terms, but the two sides begin discussions poles apart on a host of contentious issues, particularly the size of any Brexit settlement and the compatibility of Britain’s trade ambitions with EU law on immigration.
Article 50 negotiations just started. #Brexit pic.twitter.com/xxbt5ayrqz
— European Commission (@EU_Commission) June 19, 2017
Does Theresa May enter today's Brexit talks in a lose-lose situation? https://t.co/FagZXD2tNl pic.twitter.com/83NufWcQ3v
— Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) June 19, 2017