Irish PM meets Tusk: EU president arrives in Ireland for third Brexit visit in 3 months
IRISH Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is meeting with European Council president Donald Tusk today in Dublin - the third visit from the EU chief in three months.
Leo Varadkar: UK will get unique EU trade deal
The pair are expected to discuss Brexit, the draft withdrawal agreement and guidelines for the future relationship between the EU and UK.
The visit comes ahead of a European Council of EU leaders on March 22-23 on Brexit.
The EU chief pledged the bloc will stand with Ireland on ensuring a frictionless border between the Republic and Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland’s position once the UK leaves the EU is holding up Brexit negotiations.
The visit comes as
He asked: “Isn’t it time that we actually faced that reality and tried to find a solution before we slip over the edge?”
This is Tusk's third visit to Ireland in three months
The DUP is adamantly opposed to any deal which makes Northern Ireland different from the rest of the UK in terms of trade, and have rejected calls for a border in the Irish Sea.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney and Transport Minister Shane Ross are meeting representatives of the aviation industry about Brexit today.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary warned that airlines would be forced to cancel post-Brexit services from March 2019 if no agreement was reached in the negotiations by September.
The airline boss also threatened to ground planes after Brexit in a bid to persuade British voters to “rethink” the exit.
Speaking in the Irish parliament yesterday
The pair are expected to discuss Brexit
The guidelines say that Brussels wants "as close as possible a partnership" with the UK after Brexit, but expects there will be "negative economic consequences".
Speaking at a press conference in Luxembourg just hours after sending the guidelines to the EU27 capitals,