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25th Nov 2020

Joe Biden says Northern Ireland border must remain open post-Brexit

Alan Loughnane

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Biden said the idea of a guarded border was “just not right.”

US President-elect Joe Biden has said he wants to see an open border remain between Ireland and Northern Ireland after Brexit.

Speaking to Irish media in Delaware on Tuesday, Biden said he did not want to see the return of a guarded border.

“We do not want a guarded border,” he said on Tuesday. “We want to make sure we work hard to get Ireland worked out.

“I’ve talked with the British prime minister, I’ve talked with the Taoiseach, I’ve talked with others and I’ve talked with the French.

“The idea of having the border north and south once again being closed, it’s just not right. We’ve just got to keep the border open.”

It’s not the first time Biden has commented on the issue after he tweeted in September about the importance of maintaining the Good Friday Agreement.

“We can’t allow the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit,” he wrote.

“Any trade deal between the US and UK must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. Period.”