British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen to finalize discussions regarding the controversial North Ireland agreement.
The two officials discussed a potential deal that would resolve post-Brexit trade issues that have caused problems in North Ireland. The two leaders on Sunday released a joint statement announcing plans for the UK-based meeting.
Rishi Sunak To Meet with Ursula Von der Leyen
The statement read that Von der Leyen and Sunak agreed to continue their cooperative work towards shared, practical solutions for the number of issues surrounding the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Last week, British MPs were told that they must be in parliament on Monday, which suggested that a prospective deal between Brussels and London was fast approaching. Over the weekend, Downing Street insisted that the two sides have yet to agree on a deal.
During an interview on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said he hoped an announcement regarding the issue would be made in a matter of days. This was after Sunak, during an interview, insisted that he was "giving it everything we've got" to secure a deal with Brussels, as per Politico.
Last week, Prime Minister Sunak held talks with his MPs and several members of the Democratic Unionist party. The latter is responsible for blocking the formation of a devolved power-sharing government to oppose the NI protocol arrangements.
The deal Sunak and Von der Leyen will discuss aims to resolve the issues caused by the 2020 post-Brexit arrangements that govern the British province and its open border with Ireland. However, it remains to be seen whether or not the deal will go far enough to end the political deadlock in Northern Ireland.
The European Commission president is set to travel to Britain for the talks that are scheduled for late lunchtime. After which, Sunak will hold a meeting of his cabinet. The British prime minister's office said that if the two officials reach an agreement, it would be immediately announced via a joint news conference.
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Northern Ireland Protocol
Sunak's office said that the prime minister wanted to ensure that any agreement could fix the practical problems on the ground, ensure that trade flows freely within the UK, safeguard Northern Ireland's place in the Union, and return sovereignty to its people, according to Reuters.
The British prime minister is optimistic about a successful negotiation with Von der Leyen that would help him focus voters' attention on domestic reforms. It comes as he seeks to overcome the opposition Labour Party's lead in opinion polls ahead of an expected national election in 2024.
A spokesperson said that officials have conducted "hundreds of hours of talks" during the "intensive negotiations with the EU." They added that lawmakers stayed positive and made constructive progress regarding the discussions.
The situation comes as critics argue that the current environment undermines Northern Ireland's position within the rest of the United Kingdom and impacts trade flows. The nation's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) complained of a "democratic deficit" as the region has been subject to EU rules and has no power to sway them, said BBC.
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