Truss and US politicians discuss “cast iron commitment” to Good Friday Agreement


Britain’s Foreign Minister Liz Truss said in a meeting with US politicians that he had discussed Britain’s “cast iron commitment” to the Good Friday Agreement.

Liz Truss welcomes a bipartisan US parliamentary delegation led by Richard Neal (D-Mass.) On topics of conversation from the peace treaty to the “importance of free trade” and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That was “great”.

It is in the midst of growing tensions over post-Brexit transactions in Northern Ireland.

Neil, chairman of the strong US Houses and Inquiry Committee, also spoke with International Trade Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Labor leader Sir Kiel Starmer on Saturday.

The explanation of the meeting with the ministers is diminished in detail, just by tweeting as a guide to their discussion.

Truss said he had discussed “cast iron commitment to the Belfast agreement, the importance of free trade, and our condemnation of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.”

Trevelyan said he was “willing” to have a delegation in his department to discuss trade issues between Britain and the United States and the situation in Ukraine, but did not explicitly mention the tensions after Brexit. ..

A Starmer spokesman said his meeting featured discussions on the need to protect the Good Friday Agreement by ensuring that the Northern Ireland Protocol works.

Labor leaders and parliamentary delegations also touched on the need to be ambitious and creative in the trade dialogue between the United States and Britain, and the importance of Western unity in the face of Russia’s invasion in Europe. , Said the spokesman.

Epoch Times Photo
House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Will speak with a Washington reporter on May 12, 2022. (WinMcNamee / Getty Images)

With a strong intervention on Thursday, Pelosi urged the UK and the EU to continue negotiations on a post-Brexit trade agreement to maintain peace in the region.

In a statement, lawmakers said: “The Good Friday Agreement is the foundation of peace in Northern Ireland and an indicator of hope for the whole world.

“In order to support this groundbreaking agreement that transformed Northern Ireland, it is imperative to make sure that there are no physical borders between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

“I am deeply concerned that the United Kingdom is unilaterally trying to abolish the Northern Ireland Protocol, which maintains the significant progress and stability built by the Accord.”

The recent controversy was triggered by Truss’ Tuesday announcement that Britain intends to legislate some of the Brexit withdrawal treaties it has signed with the EU.

Foreign Minister told Commons that this move is needed to reduce “unnecessary bureaucracy” and protect the Good Friday Agreement, arguing that the EU’s proposal “will recede from the current situation.” bottom.

The ongoing dispute over the treaty has created a deadlock in efforts to form a government in Belfast, and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has refused to join the executive branch unless it addresses concerns about the situation.

Pelosi’s intervention was scorned by former Brexit Minister Sir David Frost, who called the statement of “Northern Ireland’s reality” “ignorance.”

“There are no plans to set physical boundaries,” he told the BBC.

“No one has suggested it, so I don’t know why she is suggesting it in her statement.”

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, also described Pelosi’s contribution as “totally useless.”

Pelosi isn’t the only senior Washington expert to step into the UK-EU relationship these days.

Derek Collet, senior adviser to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said Friday that the “great battle” between Britain and the EU was the “last thing” the United States wanted.

Neil told the Guardian that part of his job was to persuade Britain not to violate the Brexit treaty.

“They haven’t broken it yet. They’re talking about breaking it, so part of my job is to convince them not to break it,” he said.

“My purpose is diverse, but I would like to reaffirm America’s unwavering commitment to the Good Friday Agreement and remind everyone that it worked brilliantly on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

“I would like to remind everyone in Britain and Northern Ireland that it should not be treated as a result of cavalier.”

Lily Chow

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Lily Zhou is a freelance writer who mainly covers the British news of The Epoch Times.