LONDON, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The British government on Tuesday announced that it will drop the most controversial parts of the Internal Market bill after reaching an "agreement in principle" with the European Union (EU) on the implementation of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, in particular in relation to Northern Ireland.

British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said on Twitter that he was "delighted" to have reached an agreement on all issues in the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee following talks with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic.

The withdrawal agreement, or divorce deal, sets out the details of Britain's exit from the EU. When Britain's Brexit transition period ends on Dec. 31, Northern Ireland will be the only land border between the UK and the EU.

Gove thanked Sefcovic and his team for "their constructive and pragmatic approach".

He shared his joy at the development on Twitter, writing, "Delighted to announce agreement in principle on all issues in the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee."

"Thank you to @MarosSefcovic and his team for their constructive and pragmatic approach," he wrote.

As a result, the British government said it would withdraw the most controversial parts from its Internal Market Bill, which could have seen Britain break international law, with the EU threatening legal action against Britain.

Gove and Sefcovic are co-chairs of the EU-UK Joint Committee, which oversees the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, the divorce deal Britain agreed with the bloc last year.

"Following intensive and constructive work over the past weeks by the EU and the UK, the two co-chairs can now announce their agreement in principle on all issues, in particular with regard to the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland," said a statement published by the British government.

"An agreement in principle has been found in the following areas, amongst others: Border Control Posts/Entry Points specifically for checks on animals, plants and derived products, export declarations, the supply of medicines, the supply of chilled meats, and other food products to supermarkets, and a clarification on the application of State aid under the terms of the Protocol," it said.

"In view of these mutually agreed solutions, the UK will withdraw clauses 44, 45 and 47 of the UK Internal Market Bill, and not introduce any similar provisions in the Taxation Bill," it added.

The details of the agreement have not been published, but Gove said he will update the British parliament on Wednesday.

In Brussels, Sefcovic confirmed at a press conference that Britain and the EU have reached agreement on all issues in the Withdrawal Agreement.

He said that he will brief the European Parliament later Tuesday, and will adopt the text later this month.

The agreement will return to Britain for approval.

Gove said that the latest UK-EU agreement could help pave the way for a trade agreement as the final deadline looms.

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney welcomed the breakthrough and expressed the hope that this would "provide some of the positive momentum necessary to instil confidence and trust and allow progress in the wider context of the future relationship negotiations."

The post-Brexit trade negotiations between the two sides are at a crucial stage as time is running out for both sides to secure a deal before the Brexit transition period expires at the end of the year.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday that the post-Brexit trade talks are "very difficult" at the moment.

Johnson made the remarks ahead of his visit to Brussels this week for a crunch meeting with EU leaders in a bid to seek a breakthrough in the lengthy negotiations.

In a bid to unlock the stalemate in post-Brexit trade talks, Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made a telephone call on Monday, their second one in 48 hours.

During the phone conversation, they said the conditions for finalizing a trade agreement "are not there due to the remaining significant differences on three critical issues: level playing field, governance and fisheries" between the two sides.

The two leaders had phone conversations several times instead of face-to-face discussions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To bring life back to normal, countries including Germany, China, Russia, and the United States are racing against time to find a vaccine.

Failure to reach a free trade agreement means bilateral trade will fall back on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules in 2021.