Europe News Desk!! Britain and the European Union (EU) formally adopted a new deal aimed at reducing post-Brexit trade tensions in Northern Ireland, the two sides announced in a joint statement. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic signed the Windsor Framework deal during their meeting in London on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported. According to their joint statement, both the UK and the EU had taken a positive approach and reaffirmed their intention to use the framework to resolve any future trade issues. The contents of the new deal were finalized in February after protracted negotiations. It aims to resolve trade issues created by its predecessor, the Northern Ireland Protocol, which imposed border checks on British goods entering Northern Ireland. After signing the agreement, Sefcovic said the EU would continue to listen to everyone in Northern Ireland and continue its commitment to the peace process, the BBC reported.
Both sides have heard, understood and acted for the benefit of both our interests, he added. Now the Windsor Framework is the result of that genuine engagement and shared vision. On its part, it tactfully said that the talks were thoughtful, professional and in the spirit of friendship and cooperation. “What we have achieved is we have protected the EU single market, protected the UK internal market, but most importantly protected the elements of the Belfast Agreement,” he said. As a central element of the new deal, the Stormont break – carrying the Irish name of the Northern Ireland Assembly – aims to give Northern Ireland MPs more powers over EU rules that apply to the region. While the political parties of Northern Ireland broadly support the framework, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has raised questions about how the Stormont break would work. As a sign of protest, the party has refused to join the power-sharing government at Stormont for more than a year, undermining political stability. On Friday DUP MP Gregory Campbell said ratification was not the last word. It has to come back to the people of Northern Ireland.
–IANS
World News Desk!!
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