German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives at an extraordinary European Union leaders summit to discuss Brexit, in Brussels, Belgium April 10, 2019. REUTERS/Susana Vera

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that the extension of Britain’s exit from the European Union until the end of October gave the best chance of an orderly Brexit.

“We looked at the matter and decided to shift the date to October. We want an orderly exit of Great Britain and an orderly exit of Great Britain can be best ensured if we give it some time”, she told a news conference after a meeting of EU leaders.

“The decisive point was when will the British parliament consent to the withdrawal agreement and we made it clear that that exit agreement applies and will not be changed”, she said.