CHECKERS, 3 (DPA/EP)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a meeting in which they called for “practical solutions” to resolve the post-Brexit border dispute between Great Britain and the European Union.

“I think I’m optimistic that this can happen,” Merkel told a joint news conference at Johnson’s official residence on what will be her last visit to the United Kingdom before she leaves office at the end of the year.

This visit is also framed in the context of the arcs agreed between the UK and Europe over the dispute over rules for importing meat from Northern Ireland after the British left the European Community.

In addition, the two leaders agreed to hold regular talks between their governments as part of a new cooperation treaty, which will constitute a “new chapter” in bilateral relations, Merkel noted.

On health matters, the German chancellor has expressed her “grave concern” about the huge influx of fans at Wembley Stadium for the European Cup matches being played on British soil.

In addition to her meeting with Johnson, Merkel also held a face-to-face meeting with Queen Elizabeth II, one of the few meetings the king has not carried out online since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.