FILE PHOTO: Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney speaks as he leaves the General Affairs council addressing the state of play of Brexit, in Luxembourg October 15, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo

BELFAST (Reuters) - Ireland’s foreign minister said he thinks Britain will be offered a flexible extension that could trigger Brexit well ahead of the new deadline but that the views of all EU member states were first needed.

“I think that extension will be a flexible one, that will allow the United Kingdom to leave the EU - if they can get a deal done - well in advance of the end of that extension period which looks like it will be the end of January,” Simon Coveney told an audience in Belfast on Wednesday.

“Let’s wait and see how that develops and let’s also wait and see whether there are issues with other EU leaders.”