BRUSSELS — European Union leaders have given the go-ahead to Brexit talks with Britain to move onto the next stage, which will involve discussions over future relations and trade.

In a tweet on the second day of an EU summit, EU chief Donald Tusk said EU leaders “agree to move on to the second phase” in Brexit talks and congratulated British Prime Minister Theresa May.

The clearance provides a welcome boost to May, who earlier this week lost a key parliamentary vote over giving lawmakers the final say on the Brexit deal before Britain leaves the EU in March 2019.

In a breakthrough last week, the two sides agreed that the first round of issues in the Brexit talks had advanced sufficiently for now. These involved Britain’s divorce payment, keeping the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland open and sorting out citizens’ rights following Brexit.

First Published: December 15, 2017, 11:48 a.m.