EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) and Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, December 9, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a joint statement that negotiators will continue to work for a deal “in this late stage.”

World leaders, including European Council President Charles Michel, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Irish Foreign Minister Simon Conveney, praised the decision, saying the two sides need to do their best to reach a good deal.

EU sources said negotiators have narrowed differences but no decisive progress was made.