Angela Merkel told Theresa May on Friday that she was “curious” about, but “not frustrated” with the British government’s slow progress in outlining its vision of the future relationship with the European Union.

Speaking in conciliatory terms as Britain’s prime minister prepares to present her ideas on security cooperation in Munich on Saturday, the German chancellor said that the two sides were seeking common ground.

“I want to say that I am not frustrated. I am curious how Great Britain imagines our relationship to be,” said Merkel at a joint press conference with May in Berlin, a nod to rumours that she had made fun of the British PM’s circular negotiation tactics at a Davos reception last month.

“Of course we have our vested interests – for example, as regards economic commitments we would like to preserve our partnership. Both sides are in a process of learning, finding out where there is common ground.”

“We have had a very candid exchange,” Merkel added. “We will need further exchanges, but frustration isn’t the right word.”

May, meanwhile, assured her German counterpart that she would start to outline her idea of a “comprehensive and ambitious partnership that is not based on an existing model” at the Munich security conference.

“It isn’t just a one-way street”, the British prime minister said. “I want a partnership with the European Union that is good for the main members of the European Union and Great Britain.”



As well as presenting the German chancellor with an outline of her proposals as to how Britain could continue its security cooperation with the European Union’s members after dropping to a third-country status, May said she and Merkel had discussed foreign policy matters affecting Ukraine, Syria, North Korea, and “Iran’s destabilising influence in the Middle East”.

May’s trip to Germany comes amid growing anxiety on the part of politicians and business leaders about the timetable for Britain’s departure from the European Union, with officials in Berlin concerned that the UK is backtracking on agreements made in December, rather than moving forward.

The view in German government circles is that Britain will need to iron out final details of the exit deal by October in order to meet its own deadlines to formally leave the European Union on 29 March 2019.

Merkel’s spokesperson said on Wednesday that the German government expected May “to make concrete its ideas” during her visit, while the head of the Association of German Industry (BDI) complained on Friday that the UK had “clearly completely lost track of time”.

“Instead of putting on the table concrete goals for the future relationship to the continent, the British government is delaying the process with unclear language,” said BDI director general Joachim Lang. “Soapbox speeches and unproductive debates only increase insecurity in the economy and raise doubts in Britain as a business hub.”