Berlin: Prime Minister Theresa May stressed Wednesday in Berlin that Britain would not ask to leave the European Union before the end of 2016 in order to plan a "sensible and orderly departure".
"We will not invoke Article 50 until our objectives are clear, which is why I've said already this will not happen before the end of this year," May said, referring to the formal EU mechanism to leave the bloc.
May was speaking at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on her first foreign trip since taking office.
Merkel said she was willing to give Britain time until it had a "well-defined position" to begin talks to leave the EU.
The German leader stressed that negotiations on a "Brexit" could only begin when London had triggered the formal mechanism to leave the bloc.
"It is in all of our interests for Britain to apply for the exit with a very well-defined negotiating position," said Merkel, who is expected to play a pivotal role in the talks.
