Monitoring desk
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: Britain’s top diplomat said that talks with the European Union (EU) had led to improvements in a row over Northern Ireland that had set off a political issue, as the United States (US) encouraged the progress.
On leaving the EU, Britain has agreed to protocol that lets N. Ireland remain in the European Union common market avoiding the reimposition of a hard border in Ireland could have scuttled a peace largely prevailed since the 1998 Good Friday accord.
According to the APP, but the disagreements on implementation over trade prompted pro-United Kingdom parties to walk out of the N. Ireland Assembly the previous year and there has been no break-through on restoring a power-sharing government ahead of a Thursday deadline.
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary
On a visit to Washington, James Cleverly, British Foreign Secretary indicated progress but declined to predict if institutions could be up and running again by the accord’s 25th anniversary in April 2022.
James said that “the conversation happening in great faith, discreetly and that discretion I think has helped us make real improvements,”
He said that “We want to get this result as soon as possible,”
Cleverly later met with Antony Blinken, Secretary of State who stressed the “unequivocal support” for the Good Friday accord by Joe Biden, President of US, who is known for his pride in his Irish heritage.
Blinken said that the agreement “over the past twenty-five years has been integral to preserving stability, peace, and prosperity for the people of Northern Ireland,”.
