Xavier Bettel opposed to transitional deal, while hopes for early entente on reciprocal rights for EU citizens reportedly quashed

European leaders have dismissed two planks of the UK government’s apparent Brexit strategy, ruling out a transitional arrangement bridging the gap between the Britain’s departure and a final UK-EU trade pact, and reportedly quashing hopes for an early reciprocal rights deal for EU citizens in the UK and British citizens in Europe.

The prime minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, said he would be opposed to the bloc giving Britain an interim deal to cover the transitional period between its exit from the EU at the end of article 50 talks and the signature of a comprehensive new free trade agreement, which could take as long as a decade to negotiate.

Related: The ‘Canadian model’: why Ceta isn’t a blueprint for Brexit

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