The government is working towards negotiating an ‘ambitious’ new agri-food agreement with the European Union, aimed at alleviating trade challenges between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

During a visit to Belfast, the minister for the constitution and European relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds, expressed hope that formal negotiations could commence early next year.

Mr Thomas-Symonds held discussions with agriculture minister Andrew Muir, along with the chair and deputy chair of the Windsor Framework committee at Stormont.

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Speaking to journalists afterward, he emphasised that Northern Ireland's interests would be central in negotiations with the EU.

"We voted for the Windsor Framework as an opposition party," the minister stated.

"I know it is really important with the European Union that we have good faith in implementing the Windsor Framework going forward in the medium term in terms of an SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) agreement, because I'm sure you'll all appreciate it's not going to just appear, it's going to need to be negotiated."

Mr Thomas-Symonds noted that discussions with the European Union are ongoing, but a new commission is unlikely to be established until the end of the year.

He further mentioned that ‘hard edged, formal negotiations’ are expected to begin early next year.

"But do I hope that an SPS agreement, an ambitious SPS agreement, is going to ease the situation in terms of GB/NI trade? Absolutely, yes." he added.

An SPS agreement concerns to food safety and the health of animals and plants.

The Labour Party has already committed to seeking a new agreement that would allow retail agri-food goods, plants, seed potatoes, and other items to be traded between the UK and EU with the goal of ‘eliminating most border checks created by the Tory Brexit deal.’

The aim is that such an agreement could swiftly remove the most noticeable impacts of the post-Brexit Irish Sea border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Therefore, if a deal ends checks on goods moving from Calais to Dover, it would also end checks from Cairnryan to Belfast.