Rishi Sunak visits Northern Ireland for first time as UK PM

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday (December 15) made his first trip to Northern Ireland since taking office. He met with leaders of the main political parties.

The talks were expected to focus on a dispute over post-Brexit trade rules governing the region, which has blocked a normalisation of relations between Britain and the European Union and plunged local politics into crisis.

After a prolonged Status Quo, Britain and the European Union resumed talks in October.

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The EU has said it is "very confident" a positive conclusion is within reach if Britain shows the political will.

Any agreement will have to overcome opposition from within Sunak's own Conservative Party and the Democratic Unionist Party, largest pro-British party in the Northern Ireland.

Sunak's office posted a picture of him posing after the talks with the leaders of the five main parties, including the DUP and Irish nationalists Sinn Fein.

The DUP in February withdrew from Northern Ireland's power-sharing government, a key part of a 1998 peace deal, in protest at the trade checks. Neither the power-sharing government or the Stormont Assembly can function without the DUP's support.

Sunak's meetings follow a roundtable with party leaders hosted by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland earlier in the day to discuss solutions to the return of power-sharing government in the region.

(With inputs from agencies)

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