UK, Ireland discuss bilateral issues surrounding Northern Ireland

The British and Irish governments on Monday agreed on the "critical importance" of restoring the Assembly in Northern Ireland for the country's stability.

UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris and Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin met at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in London, according to a statement by the British government.

They were also joined by Steve Baker, the UK's minister of state for Northern Ireland, and Ireland's justice minister, Helen McEntee.

The officials discussed bilateral and regional issues, including political stability in Northern Ireland and security cooperation.

"The UK and Irish Governments agreed on the critical importance of restoring the Northern Ireland Assembly, Executive, and North-South Ministerial Council to full operation," said the statement.

Since the election of May 2022, Irish nationalists and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) have failed to reach an agreement to form a new Executive in Belfast.

After winning the most seats in a historic result, Sinn Fein nominated its leader and vice president, Michelle O'Neill, as the first minister. Still, the DUP refused to appoint a deputy, which deepened Northern Ireland's political deadlock.

"The conference discussed the impact of the Windsor Framework on Executive formation and agreed it presented a sound foundation for progress in Northern Ireland," added the statement.

Meanwhile, the two sides agreed that the Windsor Framework provides "certainty and stability" for the people of Northern Ireland.

The framework formally replaced the Northern Ireland protocol in March. Now it seeks to keep Northern Ireland within the EU trade rules while reducing the inspections of some goods crossing the Irish Sea.

The British and Irish sides agreed to meet again this fall, said the statement.