Macron considers draft Brexit deal agreed by UK and EU as encouraging sign

French President Emmanuel Macron considers the draft Brexit deal agreed by UK and EU negotiators as an encouraging sign but remains cautious as the text still needs to be examined in detail, said government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux.

"It's an encouraging sign considering what happened in the last weeks or months, but we obviously remain very prudent," said Griveaux on Wednesday, speaking after a weekly cabinet meeting.

"We will take the time to examine the draft deal in detail and there will be an agreement when heads of states and governments have had the possibility to go through the draft text in detail," he added, reporting Macron's comments to the cabinet.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is in the process of trying to convince senior ministers to accept a draft European Union divorce deal that opponents say threatens both her government and the unity of the United Kingdom.