Verhofstadt to meet Northern Irish leaders to discuss borders
The European Parliament's Brexit spokesman Guy Verhofstadt arrived in Northern Ireland on Wednesday ahead of meetings with local political leaders at Stormont as part of a two-day visit to discuss the future of the island's border.
Verhofstadt will address to a joint committee of the Irish Parliament on Thursday and said he planned to meet business and community leaders in the Armagh-Monaghan border area.
Although he is not directly involved in the negotiation process, any deal struck between the EU and the UK would require approval by the European Parliament of which Verhofstadt is the link between the two.
The European Parliament has said that it was "especially concerned" by how Brexit would impact Northern Ireland as it believed preservation of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement in all its parts was "crucial" to the success of any settlement.
Verhofstadt had previously been quoted as saying, "We will never accept a hard border again between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic."
It is important to understand our history in order to find solutions for our future together. pic.twitter.com/WBa9nImvCR
— Guy Verhofstadt (@GuyVerhofstadt) September 20, 2017