Brexit 'should not undermine peace' in Northern Ireland

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

Ireland's Prime Minister Enda Kenny urged EU partners on Thursday to consider peace across the Irish border while carrying out Brexit negotiations with the U.K.

"Whatever happens in the Brexit negotiations, nothing should undermine the peace and stability in Northern Ireland, which has taken so long to achieve,” Kenny said at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

“As demonstrated by recent developments, the peace and stability there remains in a fragile state,” he said.

He warned against reintroducing a "hard border” with EU member Republic of Ireland and the Northern Ireland, after the U.K.’s exit from the EU.

“This is a political problem and we will have to be both, creative and imaginative, in dealing with this. Whatever agreed is, of course, will have to be compatible with the EU law,” he added.

The U.K. government officially began last month the process of leaving the EU, after 52 percent of registered voters chose to leave the EU in a referendum held on June 23, 2016.

Merkel said the EU is currently working on guidelines for the Brexit negotiations and the European Council will discuss this during its meeting on April 29.

“Of course we want to approach these negotiations with a constructive mind and a constructive approach,” she said, adding that 27 EU member states would like to remain a close partner of the U.K. even after Brexit.

“We have to underline that Ireland is very much affected by the U.K. leaving from the EU. And apart from the overall discussion of the guidelines, we will also talk about the the expectations of Ireland,” she said, adding that their discussions will also cover issues of peace and stability.

“We as European partners and Germany, we will try to help Ireland to safeguard its interests,” she said.