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The United Kingdom accused France of saying that Northern Ireland was not “offensive” for the United Kingdom.
The growing tension between the UK and the European Union may cloud the conclusions of the G7 summit on Sunday. London accused France of making “offensive” remarks, saying that Northern Ireland does not belong to the UK.
Since the UK referendum on Brexit in 2016, the two sides have been working hard to study how to deal with post-Brexit trade and British provinces that have land borders with EU member Ireland.
In the end, the negotiations continued to return to the subtle patchwork of Northern Ireland’s intertwined history, nationalism, religion and geography, but the recent dispute over the Brexit divorce agreement has focused on sausage.
Both sides accused each other of instigating discord at the G7 summit.
Brussels is angry at London’s refusal to inspect cargo entering Northern Ireland from England, Scotland and Wales.
Negotiations broke down earlier this week, and the EU threatened to retaliate if Britain unilaterally extended the grace period for trade in frozen meat, including sausages, next month.
On Saturday, when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met French President Emmanuel Macron (Emmanuel Macron) on the sidelines of the G7 summit, this issue was raised again.
According to sources in the President’s Office, Johnson asked French leaders to imagine whether Toulouse sausages were banned from being sold in Paris, which made Macron “shocked”.
The source said, “He… told him that Toulouse is part of the same territory, and Northern Ireland is not like that” because it is separated from the UK by the Irish Sea.
“These are different geographic configurations, and we are comparing things that are absolutely incomparable.”
British media reported that Macron’s response was inaccurate, saying that Northern Ireland does not belong to the United Kingdom, and British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called it an “offensive”.
According to the “Sunday Times” report, Johnson was very angry. According to reports, he told Macron: “Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom are part of the same country.”
The intense bilateral exchanges explained Johnson’s comments on Saturday, “Some of our friends… seem to have indeed misunderstood that Britain is a country and a territory.
“I think they only need to consider this,” he told Sky News and threatened to suspend the Brexit trading arrangements if the situation is not resolved.
Macron called on all parties to remain calm at a press conference at the end of the summit on Sunday. “We don’t argue about this every day,” he said.
“France has never questioned British sovereignty, the integrity of British territories, and respect for that sovereignty,” he added.
Johnson also downplayed this controversy in his closing remarks, although he reiterated his commitment to “protect the territorial integrity of the United Kingdom at all costs” and stated that he has repeatedly told European leaders that Britain is “indivisible.”
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