LONDON,979 third avenue nyc Dec 4 (Reuters) - Brexit trade talks are in the difficult phase and a deal can only be struck if the European Union accepts that Britain is a sovereign nation, Business Secretary Alok Sharma said.

"We are at a critical phase," Sharma told Sky TV. "It is fair to say that we are in a difficult phase, there are some tricky issues still to be resolved."

"Right from the start of this process, we've always said that a deal can only be done if the EU recognises that the UK is a sovereign independent nation," Sharma said. "It is on the basis of that a deal will be done." (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton; editing by Michael Holden)

View comments

• ·Did Apogee Enterprises, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:APOG) Recent Earnings Growth Beat The Trend?
• ·Roche Gets Emergency FDA Approval For Covid-19 Antibody Test, Starts Shipping
• ·Dow Inc. (DOW) Gains But Lags Market: What You Should Know
• ·Are Options Traders Betting on a Big Move in Penn National (PENN) Stock?
• ·Sonoco Implementing Price Increases for All Rigid Paper Containers and Closures
• ·TUI Strikes Compensation Deal With Boeing Over 737 MAX Jets
• ·Can You Imagine How Eagle Nice (International) Holdings's (HKG:2368) Shareholders Feel About The 96% Share Price Increase?
• ·Rand Capital Corp. to Host Earnings Call
• ·Crown Crafts, Inc. to Announce Results for Fiscal 2020 Fourth Quarter
• ·Why Is Vornado (VNO) Up 1.7% Since Last Earnings Report?
• ·Top Ranked Growth Stocks to Buy for June 4th
• ·Fortuna to Release Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results on November 12, 2020; Conference Call at 12 p.m. Eastern Time on November 13, 2020
• ·Unusual Options Activity Insight: Plug Power
• ·Is It Smart To Buy Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) Before It Goes Ex-Dividend?
• ·Evotec to Attend Upcoming Investor Conferences
• ·EyePoint Pharmaceuticals (EYPT) Reports Q4 Loss, Tops Revenue Estimates