2 years ago
92
ARTICLE AD BOX
By Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political correspondent
Simon Coveney and Brandon Lewis last attended a British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in June
Troubles legacy issues and the Northern Ireland Protocol are likely to feature strongly at a meeting of ministers in London later.
It will be the latest session of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIC).
It is a body set up to promote cooperation between the UK and Ireland and brings together representatives from both sides of the Irish Sea.
NI Secretary Brandon Lewis will meet Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney.
They will be joined by Minister of State for Northern Ireland Conor Burns and Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee.
After that meeting, the UK and Irish governments agreed "a process of intensive engagement" on legacy matters.
Under the plan, a statute of limitations would cover crimes committed during the Troubles up to April 1998 and would apply to military veterans as well as ex-paramilitaries.
Image source, Getty Images/Mirrorpix
Image caption,Dealing with the legacy of the Troubles has proved divisive but all Stormont parties oppose a statute of limitations
On Tuesday, the party leaders at Stormont - who all oppose the plan - held a virtual meeting with Mr Lewis and Mr Coveney about where that legislation is at.
Stormont sources described the meeting as an "utter fiasco", with Sinn Féin's Declan Kearney saying he believed the legislation would be introduced at Westminster "imminently".
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was also critical, but said the Irish government also needed to publish proposals for legacy cases and "offer the prospect of justice to victims".
It is not clear whether Mr Lewis will make any further announcements after Thursday's BIIC meeting.
Negotiations between the UK and EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol are also expected to be raised during the BIIC.
Relations between London and Dublin have deteriorated because of the fallout from Brexit.
Unionists have also objected to the protocol, which put a trade border in the Irish Sea and kept Northern Ireland aligned with some EU rules.
The Irish government believes that an agreement on animal and plant standards would get rid of up to 80% of all checks but the UK is reluctant to align to EU rules.
Discussions to reach a breakthrough between the UK and EU have been taking place for some six weeks, with more talks expected later this week.
English (US)