LONDON (AP) – The Latest on British Prime Minister Theresa May’s speech on Brexit (all times local):
2:35 p.m.
A few dozen people are taking part in a peaceful demonstration in Florence where Prime Minister Theresa May is giving a speech on Britain’s exit from the European Union.
The protesters, many of them Britons, waved EU flags on Friday and chanted “Theresa May, we’re here to stay!”
The rally was organized by a group called “New Europeans,” which advocates freedom of movement in Europe and EU citizenship rights.
One of the difficult decisions that the EU and Britain will have to resolve in their divorce is how to treat each other’s citizens living in their areas.
___
9:30 a.m.
British Prime Minister Theresa May will try to revive foundering Brexit talks, proposing a two-year transition after Britain’s formal departure from the European Union in 2019 to ensure there are no problems during the changeover.
May’s office released extracts from a speech she will deliver Friday in Florence, Italy, stressing that both sides share “a profound sense of responsibility” to ensure their parting goes “smoothly and sensibly.”
The speech comes before the fourth round of talks, which have stalled on issues such as the amount Britain must pay to settle its financial commitments to the bloc and the status of EU citizens in the U.K.
While the EU says negotiations can’t move forward until these issues are resolved, Britain wants to begin discussing future links, including trade and security cooperation.