Trade talks between Britain and the European Union will continue in London until the middle of this week, as the U.K. government indicated optimism about signing a deal.
EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier had been due to leave the British capital on Sunday before continuing in Brussels on Monday but will stay on for discussions through Oct. 28, according to a U.K. government official, who asked not to be identified.
The negotiations will then move to Brussels from Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter. The logistical developments do not reflect the state of progress in the talks, the people said.
The pound rose on optimism that the ongoing negotiations will result in an agreement.
The U.K. and the EU have moved into an intensive phase of talks, set to last until mid-November, in an effort to get a deal after Britain temporarily walked away earlier this month. The negotiators have agreed to work daily and over weekends, and on the basis of legal texts.
“I think there's a good chance we can get a deal,” the U.K.'s Northern Ireland Secretary, Brandon Lewis said on the BBC's Andrew Marr program on Sunday. “But the EU need to understand it's for them to move as well.”
Read more: Why Brexit Talks Aren't Over and Still Threaten Chaos: QuickTake
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