Brexit: British minister attends final EU meeting

A UK minister has attended a European Union meeting for the final time before the country leaves the bloc on Friday.

Speaking after the General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, Foreign Office Minister Chris Pincher said the UK was “looking forward to the next chapter” in its relations with the EU.

The UK and the EU’s 27 remaining countries would “continue to defend shared values” after Brexit, he said.

The European Parliament will hold its vote on the Brexit deal on Wednesday.

It comes after the withdrawal agreement was formally signed by Boris Johnson and EU leaders last week.

Topics discussed at Tuesday’s meeting included Croatia’s six-month stint in charge of the EU presidency, which officially begins this month.

As he arrived for the meeting, Mr Pincher told reporters: “I’m here to reassert to my EU friends and colleagues that, though we are leaving the EU, we are not leaving Europe.

“Our shared history, our shared values, our commitment to security and prosperity continue as equals – sovereign equals.”

He wished his counterparts “the best for the future”.

He later tweeted a number of pictures of him talking to his European counterparts.