French President Macron urges Britain to resolve post-Brexit Irish border

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that it was up to Britain to resolve the issue of its border with Ireland after it leaves the European Union.

"It's up to the United Kingdom to propose concrete solutions to minimise the impact of Brexit on the border between Ireland and the United Kingdom," Macron said after talks in Paris with visiting Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

"It's an essential element for Ireland but also a subject of constant attention for the European Union and France," Macron added, reaffirming the EU's position that London must take the initiative.

The issue of the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland -- the only land border the UK will have with the EU after Brexit -- is a top priority in the negotiations between Brussels and London, which began in June.

There are fears the return of a "hard" border would disrupt the fragile peace in Northern Ireland, which was plagued by three decades of unrest until a 1998 peace deal.

Varadkar thanked Macron for his "solidarity" in "doing all that we can to ensure there is no return to a physical border on the island of Ireland."