UK barred from EU cybersecurity meeting: report

The U.K. ambassador to the EU complained that British officials had been "disinvited" from a EU cybersecurity meeting addressing the risks posed by Chinese equipment maker Huawei, the Financial Times reported.

The exclusion raises "questions and concerns in London with regards to the treatment and process around meetings" as the U.K. prepares to depart the EU, Tim Barrow wrote in a letter to the European Council.

The U.K. is scheduled to leave the EU on October 31, but the country remains a full member until then, with the right to attend meetings that don't involve Brexit.

On the agenda of the cybersecurity meeting, which took place on June 25, were cyber standards and the protection of 5G networks in the context of potential security risks from Huawei's presence in Europe, the FT reported.

Barrow argued that the U.K.'s participation in such meetings does not endanger the security interests of the EU. He said he regretted that no clear reason was given for the exclusion.

London has yet to decide on whether to place restrictions on Huawei equipment. Earlier this week, the British parliament Science and Technology committee advised the government to ban Huawei gear in so-called core parts of telecom networks, while keeping the rest of the market open to Chinese telecom equipment makers.

On Friday, the Parliament's Intelligence and Security committee urged the next prime minister to make a decision quickly.