{"id":24785,"date":"2022-01-14T14:54:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-14T19:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24785"},"modified":"2022-01-15T07:57:32","modified_gmt":"2022-01-15T12:57:32","slug":"coveney-hoping-for-agreement-on-ni-protocol-by-march","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=24785","title":{"rendered":"Coveney Hoping For Agreement On NI Protocol By March"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Minister for Foreign Affairs said he does not want to see the Northern Ireland Assembly election in May become dominated by the \u2018polarizing\u2019 issue (PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said he wants to see an agreement on the Protocol reached by the end of February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Coveney said he does not want to see the Northern Ireland Assembly election in May become dominated by the \u201cpolarizing\u201d issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It comes after UK foreign secretary Liz Truss held her first meeting with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic since taking over Brexit negotiations following the resignation of Lord Frost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking on Friday, Mr Coveney said the meeting marked a \u201creset\u201d in the relationship between the EU and UK teams, which is now \u201cin a better place than we\u2019ve seen for a while\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cFrom my conversations with both sides, I think that process will be a very serious one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think in people\u2019s minds, really, we would like to have, if possible, these issues resolved by the end of February, so that the elections in Northern Ireland can move ahead without being dominated by the Protocol issues, right the way to polling day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cElections in the North are often polarizing enough affairs without having the added complexity and tension around the Protocol and its implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo I think everybody is conscious of their responsibility in terms of trying to bring some stability and certainty to Northern Ireland in the context of Brexit, and the Northern Ireland Protocol.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Truss said there is a \u201cdeal to be done\u201d following her meeting with Mr Sefcovic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, she refused to rule out the possibility the UK could invoke Article 16 \u2013 suspending part of the arrangements in the Protocol \u2013 if they could not agree a way forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Coveney insisted the Protocol is here to stay, and that he did not expect the UK to remove the threat of Article 16 until a deal is agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He told RT\u00c9 Radio One: \u201cThe Protocol is there. It\u2019s part of an international treaty, it\u2019s part of international law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd so the focus really on the EU side is how do we implement this Protocol in a way that is pragmatic and flexible, and takes on board the genuine concerns that have been raised in Northern Ireland?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think if both sides work on that basis, there is a landing zone that can be agreed over the next six or eight weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs an Irish Government perspective, we\u2019ll be working to try to assist that process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Coveney said he did not expect the UK government to follow through on its threat to trigger Article 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cI don\u2019t expect that the UK side will take something like the use of Article 16 off the table, until there\u2019s an agreement. That\u2019s just the nature of negotiations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I have to say, I think the consequences of the triggering of Article 16, in a way that sets aside large elements of the Protocol would be hugely damaging to the relationships that we\u2019re now trying to build to solve these issues through negotiation and good politics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

British prime minister Boris Johnson\u2019s future looks uncertain, amid controversy over alleged lockdown-breaking parties at No 10 Downing Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Mr Coveney said those issues could not distract from the task of resolving the dispute around the Protocol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho knows what will happen in British politics in the weeks ahead,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut my focus and the focus of our staff is on solving problems that have been around for too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd to allow Northern Ireland to move on with certainty from this ongoing debate around the implementation of the Protocol that has caused such, you know, polarized opinion and tension in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s why Liz Truss is there. I think it\u2019s a good thing that the Brexit issues and the Protocol issues are back in the foreign office in London, rather than in a separate unit, led by Lord Frost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are big issues at the moment that Britain and the EU should be working together on, and I think Liz Truss sees that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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