Don’t let Brexit bring back the Troubles ex-us secretary of state Kerry in border warning
THE former US Secretary of State warned it is “imperative” the border issue is resolved after Brexit in a way that does not reignite the Troubles.
John Kerry made his comments during an event in America to mark the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
He told the BBC’S Sunday Politics programme a hard border could “re-heat passions”.
Mr Kerry was joined by politicians from the North’s five main parties at Yale University.
He said: “Under the Stormont Agreement, the last 20 years have been characterised by a border which people have been able to cross easily.
“If you have a certain kind of Brexit with a hard border you could see great difficulties emerge as a consequence of that.
“I have concerns that depending on what kind of Brexit takes place it could have a negative impact on the progress made in the last 20 years.
“It could re-heat passions one way or the other or both depending on what it is.
“We have to see how this is going to be resolved. It’s imperative it’s resolved in a way that it does not reignite the Troubles.”
The Democrat stressed his meeting with the North’s parties was not a negotiation, describing it instead as an “informal meeting”.
He added: “It’s an academic meeting at a university where the parties came to be able to explore their dynamics and to have a candid, out of the spotlight, frank conversation with people who know something about the issue and care about the issue.” Mr Kerry refused to say whether he would chair any new talks at Stormont or whether an independent person should be appointed in any future talks process.
He added it was important for dialogue to begin and steps taken to help “calm things down”.
One of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement Senator George Mitchell, who also attended the conference, said the appointment of an outside facilitator “could be helpful”. He added: “It has been helpful in the past and that’s a decision for the people of the UK, Northern Ireland and Ireland to make.”
It could re-heat passions depending on kind of Brexit john kerry sunday politics yesterday