Ireland says still 'a way to go' before agreement on Irish issues in Brexit talks

FILE PHOTO: Ireland's Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Carbery Coveney attends informal meeting of European Union Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Tallinn, Estonia September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo

Thomson Reuters

DUBLIN (Reuters) - There is a still "a way to go" in negotiations between Britain and the European Union before enough progress on Irish issues has been made to move on to the next phase of Brexit talks, Ireland's foreign minister said on Friday.

The EU has said that talks on Britain's future relationship can only start after the EU is satisfied that "sufficient progress" has been made on the terms of Britain’s departure, including on Britain’s border with Ireland.

"I think that there is a way to go between the two negotiating teams to be able to provide credible answers and sufficient progress in the context of the Irish border before we can move on to Phase Two," Simon Coveney told Irish state broadcaster RTE.

(Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Alison Williams)

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