Coveney post mtg with @MichelBarnier: We cannot sign up to + I don’t believe Michel Barnier would ever ask EU countries to sign up to, a backstop that is not there unless + until something better is agreed.If you set a date in future when a backstop falls then it’s not a backstop
Coveney on Brendan Howlin claims that EU is considering postponing or deferring the backstop: “There is no sense from any conversations I’ve had with EU foreign ministers, that anybody is questioning or undermining the EU position on the Irish backstop,quite the opposite in fact”
“I’m not sure what sources Brendan Howlin is getting his information from, but I suspect they are not as credible as the assurances we’re getting from the chief negotiator today.”
Coveney says he hopes negotiating teams will “re-engage” and then signal if and when they believe another summit is necessary.
