German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas attends a joint news conference with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, November 13, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Thursday that Britain and the European Union were part of the way toward an orderly Brexit but there was still work to be done on both sides, adding that it was clear discussions in Britain would not be easy.

Maas told reporters he hoped both sides would recognize their responsibility and added that Germany would, along with other EU member states, look carefully at the text of the draft Brexit deal. He said he hoped Britain would also check it carefully, especially the opportunities it offered.

He stressed Germany still wanted to have friendly relations with Britain and that the text offered a good basis for that but added: “All of that assumes that there is an orderly Brexit. A disorderly Brexit would have serious consequences for all sides and it should not come to that.”