The UK's minister for Brexit, David Jones, said today that "friends don't punish friends" and the UK therefore did not expect friends to punish it.

The remarks of Mr Jones, who is in Malta to attend a meeting of the EU general affairs council, could be interpreted as a message to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who has been accused by certain media quarters of adopting a tough stand towards Britain.

British prime minister Theresa May last week said that her country was prepared to leave the EU's single market to achieve control of its borders. She also warned that no deal (on trade) would be better than a bad deal for Britain.

The EU had warned the UK that it could not cherry pick what it wanted.

Mr Jones said the two-year Brexit time frame to conclude trade negotiations was realistic.

"In no way am I suggesting it is going to be easy, but it can be done if there is the will because the UK already embodies all EU legislation, which makes us different from Canada," he said.

Last week, Dr Muscat said no government would be in its right senses to offer Britain a Brexit deal that was better than membership. “It would be quite stupid to settle for EU membership ourselves if it is then inferior to the Brexit arrangements. That is something that is keeping us together.”

Mr Jones was addressing the Maltese media at the residence of the British High Commission.