Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May formally notified the European Union on Wednesday (March 29) of her nation’s intention to leave, triggering the Article 50 exit clause of the Lisbon Treaty just before 1:30 pm Brussels time.
“This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back,” the prime minister said.
At that moment, UK Ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow handed the “Notification of Withdrawal” letter to European Council President Donald Tusk.
The prime minister urged her European peers in her letter to work toward a mutually beneficial agreement to preserve the cooperation they had shared on issues like crime and terrorism. She also expressed her hopes of securing a trade deal, noting that Europe would be “weakened” in the fight against crime and terror if talks failed.
She called the event a “great turning point in our national story” but promised to approach those talks with an attitude of “respectful, sincere cooperation.”