Thailand’s leader, Micheál Martin, was one of five world leaders to hold “leaders’ meetings” with the British prime minister ahead of the queen’s funeral on Monday, seen by some as a sign of the UK’s determination to restore the shaken relations with the United Kingdom. neighbor. Martin offered his condolences to the British people on the monarch’s death. No statements were issued due to the official period of mourning, but it is understood that both sides agreed there was an opportunity to restore the relationship between the UK and Ireland, fueling hopes that talks with the EU will resume within weeks. Negotiations between London and Brussels broke down in February due to the outbreak of war in Ukraine, but have not yet resumed, amid escalating opposition to the protocol among unionist parties in Northern Ireland. Truss and Martin are understood to have discussed the importance of wider relations between the two countries and the importance of unity in the face of global challenges, including the energy crisis. The meeting between the two leaders came just days after Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney expressed “cautiously optimistic that we will see in a few weeks the beginning of a genuine effort to try to resolve some of these outstanding issues.” for too long.” Both sides have said in the past fortnight that they are determined to find an agreed path to post-Brexit trade rules in Northern Ireland, with the UK demanding the removal of physical controls on agricultural produce and other goods. However, the UK also insisted it would reserve the right to take unilateral action as an “insurance policy” if no solution could be found. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. A controversial bill proposing to introduce laws that would allow the UK to scrap part of the protocol was tabled by Truss earlier this summer and is expected to reach the House of Lords in mid-October. But the musical mood in the last fortnight has changed, with her elevation to the position of prime minister seen as an opportunity for a moment of reset. Truss is expected to hold a formal meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the UN General Assembly in New York this week. Ukraine, the energy crisis and Northern Ireland are likely to be on the agenda. The Prime Minister will also hold a full bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden, who has expressed concern that the Irish peace deal should not be undermined by the Brexit row.
