Macron says France is preparing for any Brexit scenario

PARIS

French president said Thursday they are preparing for every Brexit scenario, including a divorce without a deal.

In a press conference at Elysee Palace with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Emmanuel Macron underscored that no EU country will renegotiate the Brexit agreement.

"We are preparing for any scenario, including leave without a deal," Macron said.

He said the Brexit issue needs to be solved in a month and it is not possible to make a new agreement.

Boris Johnson, for his part, said: "We must come out of the EU on Oct. 31, deal or no deal."

British PM said the relations between U.K. and France could be taken forward after Brexit.

Jonhson has repeatedly stated that he would take the U.K. out of the EU by Oct. 31 with no exceptions and that although he is confident in negotiating a deal with Brussels, he was also making preparations for a no-deal Brexit.

Irish backstop issue is the hottest topic of dispute between the U.K and the EU on Brexit.

The backstop is a safety measure that ensures open borders between Northern Ireland -- which is part of the U.K. -- and the Republic of Ireland, if the U.K. leaves the EU without a deal this year.

Britain's Parliament has repeatedly rejected the Brexit deal concluded by previous Prime Minister Theresa May, as many lawmakers argued that the backstop arrangement could force the U.K. to follow EU rules for an indefinite time.

Current premier Johnson on Monday asked the EU to scrap the Irish border backstop arrangement, arguing that it is "anti-democratic" and it would undermine the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Rebuffing Jonhson's demand, European Council head Donald Dusk said on Tuesday that "the backstop is an insurance to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland unless and until an alternative is found."

*Writing by Fatih Hafiz Mehmet