EU leaders welcomed the Brexit agreement on the terms of divorce and said they were ready to launch discussions on the future relationship.
On Friday (8 December) British prime minister Theresa May clinched the coveted "sufficient progress" recommendation from the EU Commission to move talks forward.
EU leaders are expected to give the final go ahead a week from now.
"Good to see that sufficient progress has been made in Brexit negotiations in the areas of citizens' rights...
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Eszter Zalan is a Hungarian journalist who worked for Brussels-based news portal EUobserver specialising in European politics, focusing on populism and Brexit.