IRELAND-Joint Communique Hints At More Effort To Reach Deal On NI Protocol

The Irish and British gov'ts have released a joint communique following the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference that took place today in London. The language of the communique and in the presser afterwards between ministers of both sides is the most positive used by either side in some time, potentially hinting at optimism towards reaching a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol.

• Link to communique: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-communiqu...
• There are efforts to reach a deal on the protocol but also the Northern Ireland Executive. If no power-sharing deal can be reached by 28 October, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris will be forced to call a snap regional election.
• Heaton-Harris: "We need to move on on this... We are in techincal talks in good faith and good humour. Hopefully the NIP bill will be redundant.... want to be very positive about the chances of getting a negotiated solution...[it is] fool's gold to set a timeline"
• Irish Foreign Min Coveney: "Technical talks this week have gone reasonably well...[I] don't think we can get this deal done by end of October... [hopes they can make] a big step forward...that can be basis for re-assurance for the unionist community [there is a] flicker of optimism"