Merkel urges timely start for Brexit talks

BERLIN (AA) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged the British government to begin exit negotiations with the EU in a timely fashion after its citizens voted to leave the 28-member bloc.

Addressing a press conference with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, Merkel urged caution against hasty Brexit negotiations, but also warned against prolonging the process.

“We cannot afford a permanent impasse, it would not be good for both sides,” she said, adding that uncertainty after Brexit would have negative impact on the British economy, as well as the economies of the other 27 EU members.

“But if the U.K. needs a certain time now to first analyze the situation, I would have a certain understanding for that,” she added.

Merkel emphasized on Monday that there would be no informal negotiations with the U.K. until the British government would formally express its intent to leave the EU.

According to Article 50 of the EU charter, the U.K.’s exit negotiations could only begin when the British government officially demands it.

Merkel said she would talk with British Minister David Cameron on Tuesday in Brussels.

U.K. citizens voted to leave the EU in a historic referendum Thursday, where almost 52 percent of voters rejected their country's 43-year EU membership. The referendum sparked worries across European capitals about a potential domino effect in other members.

While the leaders of EU institutions have demanded that exit talks begin as soon as possible to avoid uncertainty, the British government has signaled that it would only start negotiations in the fall.

Cameron announced after the referendum that he would leave office by the time of his party’s conference in October. He also said that the U.K. needed a new “strong leadership” to conduct exit negotiations with the EU.

However, according to British media, the ruling Conservative Party said a new prime minister could be named by early September.