BRUSSELS, 09 December, 2020, (TON): British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will arrive in Brussels for an in-person meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday evening, on the eve of the summit of the leaders of the 27 European Union (EU) member states.

"I look forward to welcoming UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tomorrow evening. We will continue our discussion on the Partnership Agreement," von der Leyen said on Twitter on Tuesday.

The meeting will be widely watched by the world that is eager to see if a deal could be concluded on the future trade relations between the UK and the EU after Brexit.

The negotiators have only three weeks to go before the previously agreed transition period ends on December 31, 2020, and the two partners risk a divorce without a deal.

As the UK-EU deal or no-deal drama limps on, most attention focuses on the economic consequences of a new trade relationship. Both sides have consistently said they are keen to strike a deal, several areas of disagreement remain.

Free trade between the EU and U.K. ends on January 1, 2021 and both sides will fall back on World Trade Organization terms.