BRITISH PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden today met at the G20 Summit in Indonesia, with several issues, including the Northern Ireland protocol, being discussed.
The leaders agreed on the national and international importance of the strong UK-US relationship, particularly given the challenging economic times the world is currently facing.
The Guardian reports that the PM has doubts about whether a deal over the protocol, which regulated trade between Britain and Northern Ireland, can be reached by Christmas, but is confident it will be achieve by April.
Biden “expressed his desire for a negotiated settlement that protects the Good Friday agreement, which the prime minister agreed with”, his press secretary said.
“The prime minister did refer to that anniversary next year and ensuring that we get a negotiated settlement that protects the Good Friday agreement by then.”
A press statement which was released by Downing Street following the meeting says that "the leaders looked forward to working together to take forward cooperation between the UK and US on areas including trade, defence and upholding Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement."
Biden has Irish heritage and has been a vocal advocate for upholding the principles of the Good Friday Agreement since coming into office.
The Prime Minister and President Biden also underscored that the actions of President Putin and his regime are directly responsible for precipitating global economic issues including rising inflation. Maintaining international pressure to ensure Putin fails in Ukraine is in everyone’s interest.
"The leaders agreed to work together, and with allies, to address the economic consequences of Putin’s brutality," the statement from Downing Street continued.
"This includes action to protect the most vulnerable in our countries and around the world, and efforts to secure our long-term energy supply.
"They stressed the importance of likeminded allies providing a counterpoint to authoritarian regimes, including ensuring developing countries can grow in a sustainable way."
