Newly elected Conservative Party leader and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, July 24, 2019. Newly-elected Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson took office as the British prime minister on Wednesday amid the rising uncertainties of Brexit. The latest development came after Theresa May formally stepped down as the leader of the country and Johnson was invited by the Queen to form the government. (Photo: Xinhua)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker for talks on Monday insisting a Brexit deal is possible, despite deep skepticism from European capitals with just six weeks to go before departure day.

After a weekend in which he compared himself to comic book super-smasher Hulk, the British leader will enjoy a genteel working lunch of snails and salmon in Luxembourg with the EU Commission president.

Downing Street has confidently billed the Luxembourg visit as part of efforts to negotiate an orderly divorce from the union before an October 17 EU summit.

A UK spokesman said Johnson would tell Juncker that "progress has been made, given that before the summer recess many said reopening talks would not be possible."

"The UK needs to enact the ­referendum result and avoid another delay; the UK wants to deliver Brexit and move on to other priorities, and EU member states' leaders want to renegotiate an orderly Brexit," the spokesman said.

But Brussels has played down talk of a breakthrough, insisting Johnson has yet to suggest any "legally operable" proposal to revise a previous withdrawal accord.

As he shook hands with Johnson, Juncker declared himself "cautiously ­optimistic" and insisted that "Europe never loses patience" despite the tortuous Brexit saga dragging on over three years.

The European Parliament will this week vote on a resolution rejecting Johnson's demand that the backstop clause be stripped from the deal.

Johnson insists this measure, which temporarily keeps the UK in the EU customs union, has to go if he is to bring the agreement back to the House of Commons.

But the accord will also have to win the support of the other 27 EU leaders and the European Parliament if Britain is not to crash out with no deal on October 31 - a scenario that businesses warn would bring economic chaos.