Prime Minister Theresa May has told EU President Donald Tusk that Britain wants to give up its six-month presidency of the European Council scheduled for next year, her office said on Wednesday, according to dpa. May told Tusk by phone that the decision was taken because her government expects to be occupied next year with negotiations on leaving the European Union, a Downing Street spokeswoman said. In a statement ahead of talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin late Wednesday, May said it would "take some time to prepare" for formal Brexit negotiations. EU countries take turns at holding the bloc's presidency for six months at a time.
