Barnier insists on "all-weather" Irish backstop

A "backstop" arrangement for avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland whatever happens after Brexit is a condition for any EU withdrawal agreement with Britain, EU negotiator Michel Barnier said on Tuesday.

Describing a meeting with Slovakia's prime minister on the state of the Brexit talks, Barnier tweeted: "Strong common commitment to work for orderly withdrawal, which must include all-weather backstop for IE/NI (Ireland and Northern Ireland) and ambitious future relationship. We are not there yet." (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald ; @macdonaldrtr Editing by Alison Williams)

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