Has told meps in brussels that britain will soon regret its decision to leave the eu. He used his annual state of the European Union speech to argue that the eu should now see britains exit which he also called sad and tragic as an opportunity for the remaining countries to move towards a closer union. Translation on march 29, 2019, the date when the United Kingdom will leave the European Union, this will bea leave the European Union, this will be a very sad and tragic moment in oui be a very sad and tragic moment in our history. We will always regret this, andi our history. We will always regret this, and i think that you will regret it as well soon, if i might say. Applause translation nonetheless, we have to respect the will of the british people. But we are going to make progress, we will keep moving, we will move on, because brexit isnt everything, its not the future of europe, its not the be all and end all. Jean claude juncker. Icelands foreign minister joins icelands foreign ministerjoins me now. Jean Claude Junckers comments saying britain will regret leaving the European Union, iceland applied tojoin in 2009, formal negotiations began in 2010 but access and talks we re began in 2010 but access and talks were suspended in 2013. Is that something iceland regrets . No, not at all. But of course there are no guarantees, if you look at europe you can see some are doing well economically in the European Union and others are not, as you know. The nations outside the eu, for example switzerland, norway, lichtenstein and iceland, you could say they are doing really well when it comes to the economy but of course there is no guarantees, its a question of how you handle your own affairs. You mentioned the European Free trade association and the European Economic area. These are organisations that iceland is part of. Are they serving your country well . Yes, we are very pleased to be in both of these eea and efta, three countries are a number of the eea, switzerland has a special relationship between them and the eu, but viceland this has served us really well and we are very pleased with that. What do you think of what Jean Claude Juncker said about trying to make the European Union even more integrated and have a finance minister and an overall president and get more countries to join and more countries to be part of the eurozone . Well, i think it will be a challenge, to say the least, but of course this is just the decision of the European Union. What they do when it comes to political integration. As we know, it isa political integration. As we know, it is a challenge for them to do so in the past but we will see how it goesin in the past but we will see how it goes in the future. Water about icelands relationship with the uk after brexit . Rash what about. How important is it that the countries stay close together . How important is it that the countries stay close together7m how important is it that the countries stay close together . It is very important. The uk is our most important trading partner. This is the fifth largest economy in the world. Its obvious when you start doing your own free trade agreements that Everyone Wants to make trade agreements with you. The message we have got so far from the uk government has been very positive. We based our relationship on decades, many hundreds of years, and we are quite optimistic that we will be prosperous in the nearfuture. We are quite optimistic that we will be prosperous in the near future. So there is a good life to be had outside the European Union and icelands experience is testimony to that, you would say . We are not complaining and when any opportunities come to our way, being pa rt opportunities come to our way, being part of efta and eea, we are making trade deals with efta members but also our own bilateral agreements, we we re also our own bilateral agreements, we were the first to make an agreement with china. Does that suggest you dont see iceland any time soon heeding jean Claude Junckers call to perhaps look at opening up access and talks again . opening up access and talks again . |j cannot opening up access and talks again . cannot see that in the near future. Of course we have no idea how things will develop. As europe is now you have layers of corporation. Some places are in the eu, some nato, some of the eea, some schengen, some in europe. We have to see how things develop after such a long time. The most important thing that european nations as a whole share the same values and we want to have free trade between us and its extremely important both the uk and the eu find a good solution so there is no trade restriction in the near future. That would be a step backwards and a really bad thing. 0k, backwards and a really bad thing. Ok, we will leave it there. Icelands foreign minister Gudlaugur Thor therdarson, thank you for joining us. Its time to look at the weather news and philip avery has the details. You are going to hear the phrase sunshine and showers from here through to the weekend for that is what many of us are experiencing at the moment. Blue skies at times but the moment. Blue skies at times but the threat is always there, and then the threat is always there, and then the threat is always there, and then the threat becomes very real indeed. Some tricky driving conditions around once you are in the midst of those prolonged and heavy showers command at times the showers become quite prolonged because we have little features running down in the flow, little mini fronts and trusts put in the showers together to give longer spells of rain. Coolish night, and the countryside will be well down in single figures. And then as we get into the new day on thursday we have those little features in the flow to contend with, so im not by any means going to describe the start of the day has sunshine and showers for parts of east anglia, the midlands and stretching to the west country and into wales. There will be little sunshine to speak of. Further south away from those features perhaps some brightness but you must content with this coming in from the north, so with this coming in from the north, so if you lose the sunshine for a length of time its probably because youve got one of these mini fronts passing through your area. As is the way of it once they have passed through, the atmosphere tends to ta ke through, the atmosphere tends to take a pause, takes a breath in proceedings, and then we start kicking in the showers and normal service is resumed. Away. The mini fronts, and then it is another day of north westerly breezes, coolish wind direction to say the least, then we arejust wind direction to say the least, then we are just waiting for the next feature to pop up in that flow bringing the showers to the north in the latter part of thursday afternoon. Through the course of the evening and overnight we would drag the band of showers and more prolonged spell of rain of a further south and we do it all over again because the overall setup isnt changing at the moment. The direction of the breeze is on the cool side. Some of these temperatures are three or 4 degrees below par, then you have to add in the showers as well, they always have the effect of knocking temperatures back several degrees. The thing i would say about the weekend is the change of direction of the flow which is quite significant. Low pressure quite donaghy not1 significant. Low pressure quite donaghy not 1 million significant. Low pressure quite donaghy not1 million miles away but the flow is coming from east of north rather than west of north direction. Not as easy as it has been and still relatively cool direction. Sunshine and showers will just about do it. Youre watching beyond one hundred days. Which is the real President Trump . Tonight, hes cozying up to Top Democrats over dinner at the white house. Nancy pelosi and Chuck Schumer both democrats, both new buddies of mr trump are heading back to the president ial residence to discuss deals. A grim discovery in florida six pensioners died in a nursing home after Hurricane Irma cut the power. In the carribean, foreign secretary, borisjohnson, sees the damage for himself. Without britain, Jean Claude Juncker wants more european integration not less. Brexiteers say he hasnt learnt anything. Also on the programme where Northern Ireland meets europe we hear concerns about a post brexit irish border and the potential impact on day to day lives