London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 25, 2025

Britain’s negotiator calls on Brussels to respect the Belfast Agreement, but says EU talks have positive momentum

Britain’s negotiator calls on Brussels to respect the Belfast Agreement, but says EU talks have positive momentum

The UK’s chief negotiator with the EU has reported that the two sides have identified a number of outstanding issues relating to Northern Ireland and the post-Brexit arrangement but claimed there is some positive momentum.
In a statement released on Friday, the UK government published the comments of Lord David Frost, Britain’s chief negotiator to the EU, concerning his meeting with European counterparts on Thursday evening. The meeting and future encounters aim to iron out issues relating to Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit arrangement and prevent further unrest.

Frost said that the teams have “begun to clarify the outstanding issues” relating to the Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland and there was “some positive momentum.” It was agreed that talks with EU partners, notably European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic, who hosted Thursday’s meeting, would be intensified in the coming weeks.

The UK negotiator reaffirmed London’s position that the Belfast Agreement should be at the centre of Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit arrangement. “He underlined that any solutions had to be consistent with the overriding commitment to respecting the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions and to ensuring minimum disruption of everyday lives in Northern Ireland,” the statement read.

Sefcovic also called on the UK not to act unilaterally over Northern Ireland. "The vice-president insisted on mutually agreed paths towards full compliance with the Protocol, which includes clear end-points, deadlines, milestones and the means to measure progress," the statement read, adding that the EU would continue to pursue legal action against the UK for “as long as necessary.”

In recent weeks, unrest has turned to violence in Northern Ireland as people vent their frustrations at the territory’s post-Brexit arrangement, which sees them cut off from the rest of the UK while effectively still being part of the EU’s customs union. As of Wednesday, around 90 law-enforcement officers had been injured policing the riots.

On Wednesday, the UK also announced it had reached an agreement with the EU to delay its response to Brussels’s legal action against Boris Johnson’s government. Brussels launched legal action against the UK in March after London announced it was unilaterally changing part of the withdrawal deal, which concerned post-Brexit measures between Northern Ireland and the rest of Britain.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
×