German government spokesman says Brexit negotiations will be continued beyond this week's summit

Comments by German government spokesman, Steffen Seibert

• Wants to avoid a no-deal Brexit scenario
• Says that a solution to the Irish border/backstop must be found quickly

It's a bit suggestive that we might not get much progress on discussions to come from the EU Summit in Brussels on Wednesday. But we can only wait and see. The discussions that are to come this month are intended to set up the platform for a deal in November but right now the Irish border/backstop remains a key sticking point in which both sides are unable to find common ground.