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EU Commission deputy head says 'miracle' of Good Friday Agreement should be 'upheld and protected'

Frans Timmermans is the second-in-command at the European Commission, which runs the day-to-day business of the European Union. Picture from Twitter
Frans Timmermans is the second-in-command at the European Commission, which runs the day-to-day business of the European Union. Picture from Twitter Frans Timmermans is the second-in-command at the European Commission, which runs the day-to-day business of the European Union. Picture from Twitter

THE Good Friday Agreement "deserves to be upheld and protected" by the collective will of the European Union, the second most senior figure in the European Commission has said.

The intervention by Frans Timmermans, the First Vice-President of the Commission, which manages the day-to-day business of the EU, comes amidst confusion over whether there will be border checkpoints and customs posts on the island of Ireland due to Brexit.

Mr Timmermans, who arrived in Dublin yesterday for an official visit, has described the Agreement as a "miracle" and said it should be protected "with all the political clout we can muster in Europe".

He told The Irish Independent: "What the final outcome of this is going to be, I don't know, but I just want to underline again and again that we all have a duty towards the Irish citizens, whether they are citizens of the Republic, or Irish people living on the island, to make sure that this historic achievement of peace is not put into jeopardy.

"I was born in 1961, and all through my childhood until adulthood, I was confronted with images of terrible violence in the North, and a conflict that nobody thought anybody could solve.

"So I honestly believe the Good Friday Agreement is almost a miracle, and it deserves to be upheld and protected with all the political clout we can muster in Europe.

The former Dutch Foreign Minister added: "I would absolutely never accept that Ireland would be sort of set apart from the rest of Europe simply because of geography or history. Ireland is absolutely not alone in this."

Protesters set up mock customs posts along the border at the weekend to highlight concerns about the potential re-introduction of checkpoints in the wake of Brexit.

Both the Irish and British governments have expressed the desire to maintain free travel on the island.

However, it emerged last week that customs checkpoint locations are being scouted along the border by the Republic's government.

Mr Timmermans' boss, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, has suggested that the UK could split the EU further by offering individual countries their own deals.

He said: "Of course it's in the nature of diplomacy that the other side - in this case being the Brits - is going to look for the best possible deal it can get.

"But that's entirely up to the 27 (other EU countries) whether they want to play this game or not. It's entirely up to them how united they want to be."