Joe Biden: Good Friday Agreement cannot become a 'casualty' of Brexit

In his first comments on the issue, Mr Biden stated that any trade deal between the US and Britain would hinge upon respect for the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

Joe Biden: "Any trade deal between the U.S. and U.K. must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. Period." Picture: PA

2020 Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden says the US must not allow the Good Friday Agreement to become a 'casualty' of Brexit.

In his first comments on the issue, Mr Biden wrote on Twitter that a trade deal between the United States and Britain would hinge upon respect for the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

The former US Vice-President said: “We can’t allow the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit. 

"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."

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

Any trade deal between the U.S. and U.K. must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. Period. https://t.co/Ecu9jPrcHL

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 16, 2020

Mr Biden’s words echoed those of Democratic Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.

Last week, Ms Pelosi warned that the US Congress would not pass any trade agreement with the UK, if legislation to override the Brexit divorce settlement endangered the Northern Ireland peace process in any way.

In recent days, the British Government has been heavily criticised by policymakers at home, in the EU, and in the US over their proposed UK Internal Market Bill. 

The bill would allow UK ministers to override parts of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement regarding trade with Northern Ireland.

UK Foreign Secretary, Domonic Raab, who is in Washington for talks with senior US political figures, said he had had “very positive discussions” with Republicans and Democrats.

Following a discussion with US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, Mr Raab said that he had made clear the UK’s “absolute” commitment to the Good Friday Agreement.

“The UK action here is defensive in relation to what the EU is doing, it is precautionary, we haven’t done any of this yet, and it is proportionate," Mr Raab said.