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| NI Protocol: Flicker of optimism in talks, says Coveney | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Simon Coveney has travelled to London for talks with UK ministers | |
| The Irish foreign minister has said a "new air of positivity has created a flicker of optimism" in talks over the Northern Ireland Protocol. | The Irish foreign minister has said a "new air of positivity has created a flicker of optimism" in talks over the Northern Ireland Protocol. |
| Simon Coveney is holding formal bilateral talks with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris. | Simon Coveney is holding formal bilateral talks with Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris. |
| Ahead of their discussions, Mr Coveney said there was "a lot of warm language" but warned: "We shouldn't get carried away with that." | |
| He added that there was a "genuine effort" coming from the UK government. | He added that there was a "genuine effort" coming from the UK government. |
| Mr Heaton-Harris is hosting Mr Coveney at Lancaster House in London for a session of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC). | Mr Heaton-Harris is hosting Mr Coveney at Lancaster House in London for a session of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC). |
| The talks are being held at Lancaster House, a London building run by the UK's Foreign Office | |
| The BIIGC usually deals with economic cooperation, political stability and security. | The BIIGC usually deals with economic cooperation, political stability and security. |
| Mr Coveney also met Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Thursday night, where the pair discussed Brexit, the war in Ukraine and issues about the UN Security Council. | |
| "It is sending the signal that they're up for a serious discussion to try to resolve these issues," Mr Coveney told Irish national broadcaster RTÉ. | |
| "Dublin and Brussels have noticed this change in approach." | |
| Recent developments have included an apology by Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker about some of his behaviour towards Ireland and the EU during Brexit. | |
| "Time will tell whether the compromises necessary to get a deal are possible," said Mr Coveney. | |
| Simon Coveney and Chris Heaton-Harris met at Hillsborough Castle last month | Simon Coveney and Chris Heaton-Harris met at Hillsborough Castle last month |
| It is Mr Heaton-Harris's first meeting of the BIICG but Mr Coveney's seventh, having attended all of the meetings since it was reconvened in 2018. | |
| Mr Baker and Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee are also attending. | |
| The meeting is also expected to focus on plans to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. | The meeting is also expected to focus on plans to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. |
| There are reports that the British and Irish governments are keen for US President Joe Biden to visit Northern Ireland next April. | |
| 'Election takes us backwards' | |
| Friday's meeting comes as technical negotiations resume between Brussels and London over the Northern Ireland Protocol. | Friday's meeting comes as technical negotiations resume between Brussels and London over the Northern Ireland Protocol. |
| Relations between London, Dublin and Brussels have improved in recent weeks and there is hope of progress in those talks. | Relations between London, Dublin and Brussels have improved in recent weeks and there is hope of progress in those talks. |
| What is the Northern Ireland Protocol? | |
| However, on Thursday Mr Coveney warned that a deal was unlikely before 28 October - that is the deadline for restoring the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Stormont Executive. | |
| The Northern Ireland secretary has repeatedly pledged to call an election if a new Stormont Executive is not in place by that date. | |
| Speaking about the prospect of another election, Mr Coveney said: "This will take us backwards because an election in Northern Ireland will polarise opinion again and make compromise more difficult. | Speaking about the prospect of another election, Mr Coveney said: "This will take us backwards because an election in Northern Ireland will polarise opinion again and make compromise more difficult. |
| "There's a real focus on the deadlines that are coming in the next few weeks to try and make progress." | "There's a real focus on the deadlines that are coming in the next few weeks to try and make progress." |
| What is the British-Irish Intergovernmental conference? | What is the British-Irish Intergovernmental conference? |
| The BIIGC was established as part of the Good Friday Agreement to promote bilateral cooperation between the British and Irish governments. | The BIIGC was established as part of the Good Friday Agreement to promote bilateral cooperation between the British and Irish governments. |
| It deals with issues that are not devolved to Stormont. | |
| Meetings tend to discuss economic cooperation, security and political stability in Northern Ireland. | Meetings tend to discuss economic cooperation, security and political stability in Northern Ireland. |
| It did not meet for 11 years between 2007 and 2018 but since reconvening it has met twice a year. | It did not meet for 11 years between 2007 and 2018 but since reconvening it has met twice a year. |
| The UK government is represented by the Northern Ireland secretary while Dublin's foreign minister represents the Republic of Ireland's government. | |
| An additional minister from both administrations attends. | An additional minister from both administrations attends. |