Only a few days after the European Commissionpublished the draft withdrawal agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom, the president of the EFTA/EU Delegation, Council of States president Karin Keller-Sutter will meet the UK shadow Brexit secretary and Labour party member Keir Starmer in Bern for talks on the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. The timetable, procedure and content of the ongoing negotiations on leaving the EU will also be discussed with other members of the EFTA/EU Delegation, the presidents of the foreign affairs committees of both chambers and with the president of the Swiss Social Democratic Party.
On 20/21 March in London, Ms Keller-Sutter will also chair a regular meeting of the EFTA Parliamentary Committee, which comprises representatives of the national parliaments of the EFTA states, in order to discuss the trade policy issues raised by Brexit. Also planned for this occasion are talks with ministers of state Greg Hands and Alan Duncan, as well as a further meeting with shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer. In British parliamentary practice, the Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union is a position within the opposition's shadow cabinet that deals with issues surrounding the UK withdrawal from the EU.