The UK-EU statement is a significant achievement that meets the needs of Dublin and the DUP for now. But many twists and turns are still to come
• Brigid Laffan is director of the global governance programme at the European University Institute,FlorenceThe question of the Irish border brought the Brexit talks to a halt on Monday when the DUP stymied an emerging deal. The unfolding drama this week was no surprise to anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the island of Ireland and the fragile balances that has kept Northern Ireland in an uneasy peace over the final 20 years.
The question of Ireland was always going to be one of the most difficult to resolve, and remains so. The agreement reached in Brussels is just a staging post, or with many twists and turns ahead. That said,the joint statement is a significant achievement that meets the needs of the Irish government and the DUP for now.
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Source: guardian.co.uk