The UK government said a round of informal EU trade talks this week was "useful". European Commission President Von de Lane told the media that she was "confident" that an agreement could be reached.

The discussions "cover a wide range of issues and have made some limited progress," the British government said in a statement late Thursday.

The positive voices of both sides are in sharp contrast to the recent tensions. Boris Johnson's administration has proposed a draft law to parliament aimed at tearing up parts of the Brexit deal he reached less than a year ago, and the EU has threatened legal action to retaliate.

Even so, the UK said "there is still a huge gap in key areas, including fisheries and subsidies."

The two sides are trying to reach a trade agreement that will take effect after the end of the Brexit transition period at the end of this year.

The UK said: "We will continue our efforts next week to bridge these differences without compromising our basic position as an independent country."

Negotiators are trying to reach an agreement by mid-October to give time to ratify the agreement by the end of the year.