UK officially leaves EU after 47 years of European membership
By Trend
After 47 years of European membership, the United Kingdom officially withdrew from the European Union at 23:00 GMT, Trend reports citing TASS.
The withdrawal, known as Brexit, was initiated after Britons voted to quit the European Union during the 2016 referendum. The margin was 1.3 million votes (52% versus 48%).
Earlier in the day, the flag of the United Kingdom has been removed from the building of the EU Council. The video of the flag being removed was released via the Council’s official Twitter shortly before midnight.
"The UK flag is removed from the EU Council building in Brussels as the country leaves the EU at midnight," the EU Council said in a Twitter post.
The United Kingdom officially left the European Union. Brexit took place at 23:00 GMT, or 00:00 CET. An hour before this turning point in the UK’s political history, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, an ardent Brexit supporter, delivered his address to the nation.
After January 31, the UK and the EU enter a transition period meant to maintain the existing state of affairs, particularly on trade and tariffs, while the two sides are negotiating a deal on future trading relations. The transition period is scheduled to end on December 31, 2020. London is also obliged to continue paying membership fees to the EU budget until the end of 2020.
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