Foreign Secretary call with European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič: 21 December 2021

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

We want a constructive relationship with the EU, underpinned by trade and our shared belief in freedom and democracy. Resolving the current issues is critical to unleashing that potential.

The UK position has not changed. We need goods to flow freely between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, end the role of the ECJ as the final arbiter of disputes between us, and resolve other issues.

We must pick up the pace on talks in the New Year. Our preference remains to reach an agreed solution.

If this does not happen, we are prepared to trigger Article 16 safeguards to deal with the very real problems faced in Northern Ireland and to protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions.

ENDS