Austria and Germany will 'do all we can' to avoid no-deal Brexit, says chancellor Sebastian Kurz

Intervention comes ahead of EU leaders' summit in Salzburg this week

European leaders must do everything possible to prevent a hard Brexit, Austria’s chancellor has warned.

Sebastian Kurz added that German chancellor Angela Merkel agreed on the importance of avoiding the UK leaving the European Union without a trade deal.

“We have the same view that we must do all we can to avoid a hard Brexit,” he said.

Mr Kurz was speaking before one-to-one talks with his German counterpart in Salzburg on Sunday.

Brexit was expected to be a key topic in their meeting, which comes ahead of an informal summit of EU leaders in the Austrian city next week that Theresa May hopes will lead to a breakthrough in negotiations.

It is possible that leaders could agree to a further summit dedicated to Brexit later this year.

Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, has said a deal is “possible” by November.

Last month Mr Kurz described Britain’s vote to leave the EU as “probably the worst decision of recent years”.

“But the decision was taken and now it is about ensuring that contact remains good,” he said, adding that securing a good relationship was import for both the UK and the rest of Europe.

The main sticking point preventing a withdrawal agreement is the Irish border

The EU has proposed a backstop that would mean Northern Ireland remained in the customs union, but Theresa May has said the plan would amount to an “unacceptable” loss of sovereignty for Britain.