FILE PHOTO: European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier delivers a speech during a debate on BREXIT after the vote on british Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, January 16, 2019. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler

LISBON (Reuters) - The European Union is open to the possibility of an agreement with Britain that goes beyond free trade, EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said on Thursday.

“If they (Britain) tell us they want a more ambitious relationship, we are open,” Barnier told reporters during a visit to Lisbon.