Former British PM Blair warns of hard border in Ireland

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON

A hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland after Brexit could threaten the region's peace agreement, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair warned Friday.

Speaking at a European People’s Party event in Ireland, Blair -- one of the 1998 agreement's negotiators -- said “a hard border between the countries would be a disaster and I am sure everyone will and must do all they can to avoid it”.

“There is a consensus, fortunately, within British politics that the consequences of Brexit on the border between the Republic of Ireland and the U.K. and on the peace process should be minimized as far as possible,” he added.

Blair said “the Good Friday or Belfast Agreement was formulated on the assumption that both countries were part of the EU”.

The 1998 peace deal largely ended the decades of violence between Irish republicans, British forces and pro-British paramilitaries, popularly known as the ‘Troubles’.

“If the U.K. and the Republic were able to agree a way forward on the border, then we would have the best chance of limiting the damage. It is in the interests of us all, including our European partners, for this to happen,” Blair concluded.

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, told Irish lawmakers on Thursday many people feared the return of tensions in Northern Ireland but stated the EU would work with Ireland to avoid a “hard border” between the Republic and the U.K. territory.

Official Brexit negotiations will start following a general election in Britain on June 8.

Meanwhile, the U.K. minister responsible for Brexit, David Davis, on Friday accused European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker of trying to get him dismissed.

Davis told The Telegraph newspaper, Juncker had allowed negative briefings about him to be circulated.

The European Commission has denied the claim.

The alleged briefings followed a dinner two weeks ago between Prime Minister Theresa May, Juncker, Davis, Barnier and other senior officials. Reports of the meeting suggested there had been significant disputes between the British and EU sides.