UK: Challenging, complex issues remain in UK-EU talks, says Ireland FM

Talks between the United Kingdom and the European Union are already taking place as both sides want to come to a solution regarding the Northern Ireland protocol. Ireland’s foreign minister said there are still challenging and complex issues that remain in the ongoing negotiations.

Irish foreign minister Micheal Martin told reporters on Thursday that there are still some challenging and complex issues that remain in the negotiations between the UK and the EU over the protocol. Martin’s comments follow a meeting with British Northern Ireland minister Chris Heaton-Harris.

“The issues are very challenging and they’re complex, particularly as you get into the weeds. I welcome the progress that has been made,” said Martin, echoing similar comments of British foreign secretary James Cleverly, who said on Wednesday that there are still issues between the two sides that would take some time to resolve.

Martin also weighed in on the report by Bloomberg on Thursday that the bloc and the UK are set to enter an intense phase of the negotiations as soon as next week, according to people familiar with the matter. Martin said it was important to give the ongoing discussions some space.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said that the UK and the EU had not yet entered the negotiation “tunnel,” citing his call with EU commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also echoed Varadkar’s comments about the Bloomberg report, calling it “speculation.”

On Monday, the UK agreed on real-time data-sharing with Brussels on Northern Ireland trade, which was a step forward toward resolving the long-running issues from the post-Brexit trade agreement between the two sides when the UK left the bloc.

On the same day, Sunak is set to travel to Scotland and meet with Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon for a private working dinner as part of efforts to reset ties. This would mark Sunak’s first official visit to Scotland since taking office as prime minister back in October. Sunak’s visit also comes at a time when mass strikes, high inflation, and a cost-of-living crisis have plagued the UK in recent months.

Sunak and Sturgeon are likely going to discuss the National Health Service and the economy and may likely discuss issues that they may disagree on, such as Sturgeon’s push for a second Scottish independence referendum and Scotland’s gender reforms.