The UK Brexit secretary and European Commission chief negotiator Michel Barnier were also at the lunch in what Juncker’s spokeswoman, Mina Andreeva, tweeted was a “friendly meeting. Negotiations will continue at high speed.”
According to the EC press statement, “President Juncker recalled that it is the UK's responsibility to come forward with legally operational solutions that are compatible with the Withdrawal Agreement. President Juncker underlined the Commission's continued willingness and openness to examine whether such proposals meet the objectives of the backstop. Such proposals have not yet been made.”
10 Downing Street called the meeting “constructive”, adding: “The Prime Minister reconfirmed his commitment to the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement and his determination to reach a deal with the backstop removed, that UK parliamentarians could support. The Prime Minister also reiterated that he would not request an extension and would take the UK out of the EU on the 31st October.”
Juncker’s next stop is Strasbourg, France, to attend the Wednesday morning European Parliament plenary session, but conversations are expected to intensify between him and Johnson, according to 10 Downing Street, with meetings soon to “take place on a daily basis”.
Johnson went on to meet Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel.
Demonstrators on Place Clairefontaine in Luxembourg City, awaiting Boris Johnson's arrival for his meeting with PM Xavier Bettel pic.twitter.com/7WUABl6xQo
— Delano Magazine (@DelanoMagazine) September 16, 2019
Fairly substantial protest greeting Boris Johnson here in Luxembourg - maybe a couple of hundred people, mostly British ex-pats pic.twitter.com/fUwx2lDkPa
— Jon Stone (@joncstone) September 16, 2019
No concrete proposals from Boris Johnson's #Brexit talks with Jean-Claude Juncker today.
The only certainty in #Luxembourg was on the side of the pro-EU protesters. pic.twitter.com/crKraZei2X
— DW Europe (@dw_europe) September 16, 2019
Not a great welcome for Boris as he arrives to meet Luxembourg PM. Presser outside should be interesting with current acoustics pic.twitter.com/SLVq8rs7oF
— James Crisp (@JamesCrisp6) September 16, 2019
Booooooo pic.twitter.com/OdfXwu6NQB
— Bruno Waterfield (@BrunoBrussels) September 16, 2019
Johnson declined to take questions from the press following his talks with Bettel.
However, Bettel told the assembled press that, after the meeting, there was nothing new on the table. Bettel also said he welcomed the nearby protestors as people here needed to be heard.
Updated, 16 September, 4:20pm with Bettel comments