House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has stated that the US Congress will not accept a free trade agreement with the UK if the government continues to pursue “very disturbing” intentions to “unilaterally reject” the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Pelosi urged the UK and EU to continue negotiations on the Northern Ireland Protocol to keep the peace in the region in a powerful statement.
“The Good Friday Accords are the backbone of peace in Northern Ireland and a beacon of hope for the entire globe,” the lawmaker said in a statement.
“It is critical to ensure that there is no physical border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland in order to maintain this historic deal, which has transformed Northern Ireland.”
Pelosi’s remarks serve as a reminder of Washington’s continued involvement in Northern Ireland, despite political upheaval following the Assembly election.
In protest of the protocol, which has erected economic hurdles between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is presently blocking the re-establishment of Stormont’s power-sharing institutions.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss outlined intentions this week to introduce legislation to overturn portions of the UK-EU Brexit departure agreement.
“The United Kingdom’s unilateral withdrawal from the Northern Ireland Protocol is highly disturbing. Negotiated accords like the protocol “preserve the important progress and stability forged by the Good Friday Accords,” Pelosi added.
“As I have emphasised in my talks with the prime minister, the foreign secretary, and members of the House of Commons, the Congress cannot and will not support a bilateral free trade agreement with the UK if the UK decides to undermine the Good Friday Accords.”
“I urge productive, collaborative, and good-faith negotiations to achieve an agreement that protects peace, respecting the vote of the British people and Brexit.”
“The youngsters of Northern Ireland, who have never experienced the deadly conflict and do not want to return, deserve a future free of bloodshed in which everyone can achieve their full potential.”
