Biden: We do not want a guarded border on Ireland
US President-elect Joe Biden has said America does not want a guarded border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, following Brexit.
Speaking to reporters in Delaware Biden said: “We do not want a guarded border. We’ve worked too hard to get Ireland worked out.
“The idea of having the border north and south once again being closed is just not right, we’ve just got to keep the border open.”
Biden – an Irish American – has repeatedly expressed concern that the Good Friday Agreement, which brought peace to Northern Ireland, could be a “casualty” of Brexit.
In September he tweeted: “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.”
The Brexit transition period between the UK and EU comes to an end on 31 December 2020. A deal is yet to be agreed between the UK and the bloc, however recent reports have suggested a deal will be struck between the pair before time is up.
Meanwhile in the US, incumbent President Donald Trump yesterday gave the green light for a peaceful transition of power to Biden, though he did not acknowledge Biden’s electoral win.
The Republican President has repeatedly claimed widespread voter fraud since the 3 November presidential election, but failed to muster up any evidence.
His administration has instead filed legal challenges to vote counts across the States, after repeatedly claiming Trump was the “real winner” of the election.