London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

UK, EU have an understanding on how to resolve Northern Ireland protocol, PM Sunak says

UK, EU have an understanding on how to resolve Northern Ireland protocol, PM Sunak says

Britain's Rishi Sunak said "intensive work" was needed in coming days to reach a resolution to the Northern Ireland protocol issue after what he described as a positive discussion with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Meeting at the annual Munich Security Conference, the two sides agreed there had been "very good progress to find solutions" to the post-Brexit trade problems in the province, a spokesperson for the prime minister said on Saturday.

The talks follow weeks of media speculation that a deal was close with the EU to revise the Northern Ireland protocol, which was agreed when Britain left the bloc three years ago.

Sunak also held a round of meetings with Northern Ireland's main political parties in Belfast on Friday, telling them progress had been made on a new deal to ease post-Brexit trade and customs rules.

The intense negotiations towards finding a solution come as world leaders prepare to mark in April the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, a 1998 peace deal that ended three decades of sectarian and political violence in the province.

Speaking earlier in Munich, Sunak said a new deal was "by no means done," adding that Brussels and London had an understanding of how the problems could be resolved.

"There are still challenges to work through ... there isn't a deal that has been done. There is an understanding of what needs to be done," Sunak said. "We're working through them (the issues) hard and we will work through them intensely with the EU, but we are by no means done."

'UK LEFT EU, NOT EUROPE'

Sunak's spokesperson said he had a positive discussion about the protocol with von der Leyen, but added that "intensive work in the coming days is still needed at official and ministerial levels," and that they had agreed to remain in close contact.

Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of Northern Ireland's largest pro-British party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has also said there were some outstanding issues that needed to be addressed, after meeting with Sunak on Friday.

The DUP's support is crucial to any deal due to its year-long boycott of the region's devolved power-sharing parliament in protest at the protocol, the arrangements agreed to avoid a hard border with EU member Ireland after Brexit.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's office said he had been briefed by von der Leyen on the state of the negotiations, prior to her meeting the British leader in Munich.

"The Taoiseach (Varadkar) expressed his strong wish to see a positive outcome that provides a new foundation for relations between the EU and the UK," his office said.

Sunak reassured the audience at the conference that Britain wanted to have a positive relationship with the bloc. "The UK may have left the European Union," he said. "It didn't leave Europe. We are a European nation."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British police appear unprepared to deal with usual suspects
Russia's Ballistic Blitz on Kyiv Sends Shockwaves Through Global Stability
Multiple Tragedies and Tensions Mark Global Events: A Closer Look
Elon Musk's AfD Endorsement Ignites Controversy from neo-Nazis who accuse the AfD of being what they themselves are
Ukraine Claims Unprecedented Russian Losses: The Truth Behind Wartime Statistics
Federal Reserve Chair Powell: "We are prohibited from owning Bitcoin and are not seeking any changes to that law."
A Democratic congresswoman with blue and black hair is having a meltdown over "President Musk."
A sizable group of unauthorized migrants is traveling through Mexico with the aim of reaching the USA before Trump assumes office.
Beatles Reunion Electrifies London: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr Ignite O2 Arena with Surprise Performance
Starmer's Envoy Engages Trump Team as UK Seeks Strategic U.S. Partnership
Britain's Retail Rebound Falters as Black Friday Splurge Dissipates
Bank of Japan's Bold Reckoning: A Decade of Unconventional Policy Under Scrutiny
Republican Discord Threatens Government Shutdown Amid Holiday Season
French Retiree Dominique Pellico Convicted for Recruiting 72 Men to Assault Wife Over a Decade
Putin Defends War Strategy as Global Tensions Rise
Putin Claims Progress as Tensions Rise: Conflict in Ukraine Intensifies
Putin's Paradox: Claiming Strength Amidst Sanctions and Isolation
Water as a Weapon: The Contentious Struggle for Survival in Gaza
Syria's Future: A Fight for Democracy or Another Cycle of Oppression?
UK Considers Sending Troops to Ukraine: A Strategic Move or Intensifying The Proxy War?
Renewed ISIS Threat Puts Syria’s Cultural Heritage in Peril
Escalation in Moscow: High-Profile Assassination and International Tensions Intensify
North Korean Troops in Ukraine: A New Cold War Frontier?
Ukraine's Bold Move: High-Stakes Assassination of Russian General in Moscow
Dubai's Technological Leap: Brain Chips and AI Board Members by 2025
Tragedy Strikes Wisconsin School as Shooting Claims Lives of Teacher and Student
UK's Calculated Gamble: Balancing Defense Aid to Ukraine and Domestic Demands
UK Intensifies Stranglehold on Russian Oil, but Does It Dampen Putin’s Resolve?
British Voter Endorsement of Reeves's Bold Tax Strategy
Nicola Sturgeon Warns of 'Toxic' Discourse: The Perils of Polarisation in Modern Politics
Levelling Down: How the Conservatives Underspent on Regional Revitalization
Alleged Chinese Espionage: The Entangled Web Beyond Prince Andrew
Starmer Navigates Diplomatic Tightrope Amid Chinese Espionage Revelations Involving Prince Andrew
Balancing Democracy and Disorder: The Trial of a Milkshake Incident
Royal Mail Enters New Chapter Under Czech Ownership
UK Companies Slash Jobs Amid Economic Strain
Kemi Badenoch Rekindles Flat Tax Debate Amid Inheritance Tax Uproar
Rewiring Whitehall: New Cabinet Secretary's Mandate for Change
Legal Battle Revives: Lucy Letby Seeks Fresh Appeal as Expert Evidence Faces Scrutiny
Accusations Fly as UK-China Relations Spark Tension Within British Politics
The Delicate Dance of Devolution: As English Council Elections Face Delays
The Alleged Chinese Spy at the Heart of British Royal Circles: Yang Tengbo Unmasked
Prince Andrew Withdraws from Royal Christmas Amidst Chinese Espionage Scandal
EU Takes Legal Action Against UK Over Allegedly Neglected Rights of EU Citizens
Disaster Strikes: Oil Spill in the Black Sea and Cyclone Devastation in Mayotte
Oil Tanker Disaster in the Kerch Strait: A Confluence of Environmental Catastrophe and Geopolitical Tensions
Olaf Scholz’s Gamble: The Collapse of Germany’s Coalition Government and the Path to Early Elections
Keir Starmer's 'Sycophantic' Tone: Tensions Rise Over UK-China Relations
Trump Recognizes Partial Advances in Ceasefire Attempts in Ukraine Conflict
UK Navigates Complex Global and Domestic Challenges Amid Security, Environmental, and Health Concerns
×