British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised the restoration of power-sharing in Northern Ireland on Wednesday after the parties involved reached an agreement after a two-year impasse.
The 80-page document, shared by the United Kingdom government, promises guarantees for an "unfettered" trade between Northern Ireland and Britain, and a commitment to replace the "green lane" with a "UK internal market system" to ensure "the smooth flow of goods" moving within the UK market. While the red lane for transporting goods from Britain to Northern Ireland and further into the EU single market will be maintained, the agreement will introduce measures intended to decrease the volume of trade obligated to utilize this route.
The deal will "provide clear statutory protections that go further than ever before to provide reassurance that there will be no diminution in Northern Ireland's place in the Union without consent."
