Irish border solution possible, but not by reopening withdrawal deal, Merkel says

The German chancellor said on Tuesday the EU would think about practical solutions regarding the post-Brexit border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but not by revisiting the Withdrawal Agreement.

“The moment we have a practical arrangement on how to preserve the Good Friday agreement and at the same time define the borders of the [EU’s] internal market, we would not need the backstop anymore,” Angela Merkel said during a visit to Iceland.

“This means we would naturally think about practical solutions… The EU is ready to find a solution.”

Merkel said this would not require the Withdrawal Agreement to be re-opened and was instead a question of the so-called political declaration on future ties, Reuters reports.