Murphy Meets with UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Press Release

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday met with Rt Hon Brandon Lewis CBE, the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The two discussed upcoming elections in Northern Ireland, and the importance of striking a deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol that preserves the Good Friday Agreement. Following the meeting, Murphy released the following statement:

"As someone who represents a large Irish-American community in Connecticut and as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, safeguarding the Good Friday Agreement is deeply important to me. That's why I was pleased to meet again with the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis. I relayed my view that Britain and the European Union must strike a deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol to avoid political and economic instability that would inevitably result from collapsed talks and a U.K.-EU trade war," said Murphy. "We can't take peace for granted in Northern Ireland, and I look forward to working with our partners in the U.K. to address their legitimate concerns about the implementation of the protocol while ensuring that peace remains a priority."

Last year, Murphy traveled to Belfast and London to meet with civil society, business, and political leaders to discuss the Northern Ireland Protocol, the continued implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, and shared national security challenges. Last Year, Murphy and U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) also sent a letter to Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson in support of protecting the Good Friday Agreement and preserving peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland amid ongoing negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

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