EU wants to solve divorce before fall talks on UK's future

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Friday raised the possibility of starting general talks on Britain's future relationship with the bloc as early as the fall if decisive progress is made on key parts of the divorce proceedings — a move that grants some of the British prime minister's wishes.

[...] once there is a tentative consensus between the two sides on major topics — the treatment of citizens in each other's nations, billions in budget commitments, legal clarity for companies working in Britain and a solution for Ireland's border with the United Kingdom — the EU says it would be willing to look ahead.

Some 3.3 million EU citizens now live in Britain and about 1 million Briton live in the rest of the EU.

Since the issue of foreigners taking jobs from British workers fueled the Brexit referendum, a solution pleasing both Brussels and London will not be easy.

Tusk also ruled out the suggestion that there was an inherent threat in May's departure letter Wednesday, which some felt hinted that Britain would end its security cooperation with continental Europe unless it gets a good Brexit deal.

The British government triggered the two-year EU exit process Wednesday with May's letter to the EU and began outlining how it intends to convert thousands of EU rules into British laws in a Great Repeal Bill.