EU, UK Reps Talk Up Progress & Hard Work As Sunak Meeting w/DUP Goes On

Wires reporting comments from European Commission VP Maros Sefcovic. States that 'good progress' has been made in Brexit talks with UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. Sefcovic: "Good to see Foreign Secretary James Cleverly again to take stock of the work on the Protocol on IE/NI.Constructive engagement. Good progress. The shared objective clear: joint solutions, responding to the everyday concerns of people in NI. Hard work continues."

• V similar comments from Cleverly: "Held a constructive meeting with Maros Sefcovic in Brussels. We discussed the work ongoing between UK and EU to find a solution on the NI Protocol. Intensive work continues."
  
• Comes as UK PM Rishi Sunak is in Belfast meeting with leaders of NI political parties. In an indication that the hard line unionist Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) may not be convinced, Jack Maidment at Daily Telegraph: "The DUP's meeting with Rishi Sunak in Belfast has now lasted for more than an hour. Each NI political party was supposed to have about 15 mins each with the PM."