The European Union and Britain say they will accelerate Brexit negotiations and hold regular talks to try to bridge important differences in an effort to seal an agreement before the end of the year, AP reported.

EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said Tuesday that both sides “have agreed that the EU and the U.K. will negotiate continuously from now on.”

He says work will focus on how to keep goods, services and people flowing over the border between Northern Ireland in the U.K. and EU member Ireland, and a political declaration on future EU-U.K. ties.

While conceding that “there are still gaps,” Barnier’s British counterpart Dominic Raab said that if both sides are pragmatic “I am confident we can reach the agreement in October.”

Britain leaves the EU on March 29 but a deal must be clinched soon to leave parliaments time to ratify it.