Remarks by President Donald Tusk after the special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50) on 25 November 2018
"Today, the European Council endorsed the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community. On this basis, the European Council invited the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council to take the necessary steps to ensure that the agreement can enter into force on 30th March 2019, so as to provide for an orderly withdrawal.
The European Council approved the Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The European Council restated the Union's determination to have as close as possible a partnership with the United Kingdom in the future."
I quote this passage of today's conclusions, as it contains the essence of our meeting. Ahead of us is the difficult process of ratification as well as further negotiations. But regardless of how it will all end, one thing is certain: we will remain friends until the end of days, and one day longer.