THE HAGUE- German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday she had not set Britain a 30-day deadline to find a solution for the so-called Irish backstop, saying they could also have time until Oct. 31, when Britain is due to leave the European Union.

"I said that what one can achieve in three or two years can also be achieved in 30 days. Better said, one must say that one can also achieve it by October 31," Merkel told a news conference in the Hague.

Merkel had suggested on Wednesday that Britain and the EU could find a solution to the sticking point of the Irish backstop in the next 30 days, a possible signal she was willing to compromise with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 

(Reporting by Michelle Martin and Joseph Nasr Editing by Madeline Chambers) ((MichelleHannah.Martin@thomsonreuters.com; +49 30 2888 5223; Reuters Messaging: MichelleHannah.Martin.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))