The withdrawal agreement has been signed and ratified by both sides and as such it must be effectively implemented. That includes, of course, the protocol on Northern Ireland and all its constituent parts.
Of course, in this context as in all others, we would expect our partners to respect their international obligations under their national law and under international law – that includes, of course, the withdrawal agreement which has legal force.
Obviously, with respect to the future and how this plays in the negotiation, of course respecting our legal obligations is very important for establishing trust between two partners in a negotiation.
