UK and EU officials set for 'technical talks' on resolving Northern Ireland Protocol issues

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris met recently.

A video call between UK and EU officials is expected to take place on Thursday to start "technical talks" on resolving problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Meanwhile Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney is due to have dinner with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in London in the evening.

It comes ahead of a meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference, also in London, on Friday.

The meeting will be chaired by Mr Coveney and the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris.

The meetings display the renewed efforts to rebuild relationships damaged between the UK and Ireland over the Protocol.

They also show the beginning of what is likely to be a busy few weeks of discussions and negotiations to try to sort out the problems with the Protocol.