EU members united behind draft Brexit deal

Brussels: Ministers from the 27 non-British European Union (EU) members agreed on Monday not to reopen talks on the draft Brexit divorce deal ahead of its signing this weekend.

"The first difficult step is done," said Austrian minister for Europe Gernot Blumel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, after the ministers met.

Negotiations in Brussels will now focus on finalising a political declaration on ambitions for the post-Brexit relationship between Britain and the European Union.