The UK has six months to resolve the dispute over the Northern Ireland protocol, with plans for a state visit next year for Joe Biden to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement .
The government sees the date next April as a vital time to get Northern Ireland’s executive back up and running, with unionist parties blocking power-sharing institutions as part of a protest against the rules trade after Brexit.
The Biden administration raised the protocol with Liz Truss in their first bilateral talks with the US president in New York on Wednesday, amid concerns in the White House that the Good Friday deal could be under threat as a result of the dispute
In his televised opening remarks at the start of the meeting, noting its importance, Biden told Truss: “We are both committed to protecting Northern Ireland’s Good Friday agreement. I look forward to listen to what’s on your mind.”
While the main focus of Truss’s trip has been to address Russian aggression in Ukraine, it is raising concerns that the new prime minister has been left “adrift” despite her promises.
During the two days, he refused to discuss the issue with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and held a “closed door” meeting with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Downing Street said that in Biden’s meeting, which lasted 15 minutes, the two leaders had agreed that the “priority” was to ensure that the Good Friday agreement was maintained, to “preserve the peace gains” in Northern Ireland.
Diplomats suggested Biden could travel to the UK to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement, creating a deadline for the EU and UK to resolve the issue. “If you look at the calendar, you’ll come to the conclusion that next year could be an obvious reason to visit Europe if things go well,” said one.
The government sees the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement as a key decision point in resolving the conflict, but is concerned the lack of an executive could create a stumbling block, and is working to get it back on track on as soon as possible
Downing Street has sought to defuse Britain’s protocol dispute to reach a coveted free trade deal with the US, with Truss admitting ahead of his visit that a deal may not happen for years, although supporters of Brexit hailed him as one of the main potential. benefits of leaving the EU.
Within days of taking office, the White House warned Truss not to “undo” the Northern Ireland protocol, stressing that while there was no “formal link” between the issue and approval of a free trade agreement, would not create an “enabling environment”.
The government has vowed to secure changes to the protocol, either through a negotiated compromise with the EU or through controversial national legislation that would allow ministers to scrap the deals without Brussels’ approval.
The DUP boycott has been criticized by political opponents, who say it hampered efforts to support struggling families amid the cost of living crisis. The executive has been suspended three of the last five years.
Both sides have said in recent weeks they are determined to find an agreed path for post-Brexit trade rules in Northern Ireland, with Britain calling for the removal of physical checks on agricultural produce and other goods.
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However, the UK has also insisted it will retain the right to take unilateral action as an “insurance policy” in case a solution cannot be found.
Tony Blair stepped in to reassure both EU nations and the US that the row over post-Brexit trade rules in Northern Ireland was not a threat to the stability of the Good Friday deal, according to British diplomats.
One said: “Tony has certainly been explaining to the Europeans and the Americans that the British Government has a real point about the trade aspects of the Northern Ireland Protocol. He has been explaining in a way that only he can, given his role in the Good Friday Agreement.
“He has been explaining why there is no danger, why it is not about the Good Friday agreement. It’s about communities.
“And he has been explaining why the EU proposals will not work will not work. Now he doesn’t agree with the government on every point, but he’s certainly been a useful voice on that.”
A spokesman for Blair declined to comment.