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00:00Do you get the sense that the EU is pleased with the progress that it's seen so far. No I think I think I'd be right to say on behalf of the European governments that we're not satisfied with the progress that has been made so far . However we'll continue in the talks they are ongoing. The European sides led by Michel Barnier the British side by David Davis and we will allow those talks to continue. We hope that more progress can be made and that that progress will be sufficient when we meet in October to allow the talks to continue to the next phase. But to date the progress has not been sufficient. And on particular topics where would you say there is the most frustration on the lack of progress. I say that there are there are three main areas when it comes to citizens rights. You know we think somebody who is Italian or Polish or French has been living in London for years working hard paying taxes should be allowed to stay there. And equally we believe that people who are British who may be starting new lives in Spain or Italy should be allowed to stay there too. We don't yet have a full agreement on that. We're also keen to know what will happen with family members for example who want to relocate and live with their loved ones. There is no agreement yet on the amount of money that Britain will pay it does have outstanding legal obligations for example pensions paid to European civil servants many of whom are British for example. And then also on Ireland there has been some progress . We're satisfied that we're going to keep the common travel area that British and Irish citizens will be able to move freely between the two islands work live access health education and in each of those countries as we do now. And I'm also very reassured with the ongoing commitment by the UK government to the peace process in Northern Ireland and continue to fund peace building measures in Northern Ireland. But an area that I feel very strongly about is that there shouldn't be a trade border on the island of Ireland and we don't yet have sufficient progress on that. So I know let's say that the UK doesn't get the kind of trade deal that it wants with the EU. How concerned are you that they end up saying OK we're to put in a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. But I suppose where we're confused and puzzled is very much the premise of your question. What trade agreement does the United Kingdom want with the European Union at the moment they have the best trade deal possible. The best one imaginable which is a customs union and access to the single European market and the economic European Economic Area. What they've seemed to be suggesting all along really for the last 14 months now is that they want to have all the advantages of being in the EU but none of the responsibilities and costs and that's not a realistic position . So we're waiting to see what what what they would like to see . And one thing that really strikes me being here in Canada a month from today see that the Canadian European trade agreement will come into force when Britain leaves the European Union it's not only leaving the European Union it's leaving all of those trade agreements that Europe has made with countries like Canada with countries like Japan with countries like South Korea. So it's not yet clear to us what are these better deals that the British government really wants from Europe and from other countries. And I think some more clarity in that area would be very helpful .

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Ireland's Varadkar 'Puzzled' by U.K. Trade Demands

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar comments on the state of U.K. trade talks during an interview with Bloomberg TV in Toronto. (Source: Bloomberg)

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