Britain's ambassador to the European Union has resigned, nine months before he was due to leave his post, the government said on Tuesday. "Sir Ivan Rogers has resigned a few months early as UK permanent representative to the European Union," it said in a statement. 

    It said Rogers had decided to resign to "enable a successor to be appointed before the UK invokes Article 50" of the Lisbon Treaty, which sets the rules for a two-year negotiating process for a nation leaving the EU.

    Prime Minister Theresa May has said she plans to trigger Article 50 by the end of March. Rogers, who has served as the British ambassador to the EU since late 2013, confirmed his decision in a note to staff on Tuesday afternoon, the Financial Times reported. 

    The BBC said last month that Rogers had warned the government it could take up to 10 years to finalize negotiations on a Brexit agreement with the other 27 EU member states.

Source: QNA