The British government's position paper on the border post-Brexit sets out proposals on what it considers to be four key areas that could potentially be impacted by the UK withdrawal from the EU.
The Good Friday Agreement
The British government has stressed the importance of upholding all elements of the 1998 peace deal - an accord signed by the British and Dublin governments which has also relied on significant EU financial support.
In a bid to reassure nationalists in the north it proposes that rights enshrined in the agreement, such as the right to claim Irish citizenship, would not be affected. As such, Irish citizens from Northern Ireland would continue to be EU citizens post-Brexit.
There is also a commitment to explore ways of maintaining funding streams for peace building and reconciliation work that is currently provided by the EU. Europe has invested two billion euro into such projects since 1995.
The Common Travel Area
The agreement dating back almost a century allows for free movement of Irish and British citizens in the respective jurisdictions, including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The CTA includes associated rights such as the right to work, study, claim benefits and vote in elections.
The British government is seeking to retain the CTA after the UK leaves the EU.
It says the question of residency and work rights for EU citizens who are not Irish will be addressed later in the Brexit negotiations.
Related links
Theresa May writes for The Irish News: Brexit, the border and Irish citizenship
John Manley: Theresa May asks the right questions but we need answers
Theresa May will explore potential for post-Brexit peace funds targeting north
British government's Brexit position paper proposes no physical changes to border
Irish citizenship is your birthright, pledges Theresa May
Timeline: Theresa May's announcements on the border and Brexit
Movement of goods across the border
The British government's practical vision for managing cross-border trade has come as somewhat of a surprise.
While the notion of physical check points has long been considered a non-runner, especially given the risk of them becoming terror targets, it was thought the British government would still seek to monitor the frontier using less intrusive technology.
However, the paper says Britain wants to avoid any physical infrastructure. Whitehall officials have confirmed this means no CCTV cameras or number plate recognition systems.
Instead, the document proposes some bespoke customs solutions that would see the majority, if not all Irish businesses avoiding tariffs post-Brexit.
If the EU signs up to the UK's ambitious proposal of a customs partnership - some claim this is a customs union in all but name - then there would be no tariff implications on the border at all.
If, as many expect, a less fulsome agreement is reached, the British government still wants 80% of Irish businesses to avoid tariffs. It proposes that small to medium-sized operations that criss-cross the border as part of localising daily trade should continue to do so unfettered.
Tariffs will apply to the larger companies involved in international trade but the British government wants those customs declarations to be done either online or at their offices and filed retrospectively, like a VAT or Self Assessment Income Tax return.
A further proposal aimed at freeing up business would see the UK retain membership of the Common Transit Convention, so goods passing through Northern Ireland from the Irish Republic en route to continental Europe would not be subject to customs checks.
North-South and East-West relations
Furthering relations between Northern Ireland and the Republic and between the island and Great Britain were key planks of the Good Friday accord.
Aside from the political, which are manifested in various bodies such as the North South Ministerial Council and British-Irish Council, there are also practical link-ups, such as the provision of a single electricity market in Ireland.
The British government wants the final Brexit deal to reflect the importance of these relations and commit to preserve them.