Theresa May insists the UK is ready to trigger Article 50 and the process will be ‘smooth and orderly’
The Prime Minister spoke ahead of a bilateral meeting with Angela Merkel this afternoon where she will update her on the preparations for Brexit
THERESA May insisted today that "Brexit is on track" and the UK was "ready" to trigger Article 50 at the end of March.
Speaking ahead of a bi-lateral meeting with Angela Merkel in Germany this afternoon, the Prime Minister said she wanted a "smooth, orderly" process for the UK to leave the EU.
"I will be able to update Chancellor Merkel on where we are on our Brexit preparations," the Prime Minister said in a joint press conference with the German Chancellor, who wished her a "warm welcome" to Berlin.
"Our work is on track. We stand ready to trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017," Mrs May said.
"I want to see this as a smooth process, an orderly process... working towards a solution that's in the interests of both the UK and also in the interests of our European partners."
She also looked ahead to the December meeting of the European Council where EU migration and security arrangements would be discussed in more detail.
"We support the EU actions to deal with the root causes of migration," she added.
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The meeting comes as warnings from German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble said the UK could have to pay into the EU budget for a decade after it leaves the bloc.
A Downing Street spokesperson said this morning: "What happens once we have left the EU is a matter for the negotiation process."
The Prime Minister also had a "brush-by" talk with President Obama before the meetings began, where they had a short discussion about the ongoing relationship between the UK and the US.
The group of leaders from Britain, Spain, Italy, France and Germany had come together in Berlin as part of President Obama's farewell Europe tour.
The Prime Minister thanked Mr Obama for the "contribution he has made over the years".
Mr Obama stressed the importance of Nato in the wake of controversial comments from Donald Trump about his commitment to the alliance.
The President-Elect has caused concern due to his friendly attitude towards Russia's Vladamir Putin and has questioned continued support to the Nato alliance.
A White House statement said: "The leaders agreed on the necessity of working collectively to move the transatlantic agenda forward, particularly on bringing stabilisation to the Middle East and North Africa, as well as securing diplomatic resolution to the conflicts in Syria and eastern Ukraine.
"The leaders also affirmed the importance of continued co-operation through multilateral institutions, including Nato."
Mr Obama said other countries should work with Mr Trump. He "urged his European counterparts to continue seeking solutions to common challenges with the incoming US administration on the basis of the core values that define the United States and Europe as open democracies", the White House added.
The talks today also highlighted the "grave concern" about the situation in Syria.
In a possible warning to Mr Putin, Mrs May said that the group were "united in our condemnation" of the situation in Syria and stressed the "need to keep up the pressure on Russia... including the possibility of sanctions on those who break international, humanitarian law".
They agreed that attacks against the rebel-held area of Aleppo should be halted immediately so humanitarian access to the city could be restored.