LONDON -- British ministers and officials will boycott most European Union (EU) meetings from Sept 1, the British government announced here Tuesday.

"From now on we will only go to the meetings that really matter, reducing attendance by over half and saving hundreds of hours," British Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay said.

The announcement came in the latest Brexit development as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces fresh warnings over hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland of Britain.

British ministers will only attend big summits and those covering essential interests like security.

The rest will be ignored, sending a clear message that Britain is serious about leaving the regional group at the end of October.