For those interested in the Irish dimension ...
www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2017/1123/922191-brexit-embassies/
European dismay at UK 'chaos and confusion' over Brexit
Updated / Thursday, 23 Nov 2017 09:15
There are concerns across European capitals that a breakthrough may not happen in December
An internal report by the Department of Foreign Affairs has painted a negative and deeply unflattering picture of Britain's performance in the Brexit negotiations.
It is based on an extensive round of meetings between senior Irish diplomatic figures and government officials in European capitals.
The confidential report, seen by RTÉ News, quotes senior EU figures as being alarmed by "chaos in the Conservative government", with British ministers and civil servants unable to agree a coherent policy on Brexit.
The report says there are significant concerns across European capitals that it will be difficult to break the deadlock in the negotiations ahead of the December summit.
The UK wants the EU27 to move on to the second phase of the talks covering trade as soon as possible.
So far, the EU has said that cannot happen until Britain makes concessions on its financial liabilities, citizens’ rights, and the border.
The paper is based on a series of meetings between Irish ambassadors and senior embassy officials and government and foreign ministry officials in ten EU member states and in Japan.
The document is a compilation of political reports from Irish embassies across Europe between 6 and 10 November.
This was some three weeks after the EU summit in Brussels during which EU leaders told Theresa May that Britain needed to do more on the three key issues.
The opinions voiced by EU ministers and senior officials to Irish diplomats reflect widespread pessimism and even scorn about the British government's negotiating position.
Some EU figures talk of "chaos" in the British government.
The report reveals that at a meeting between David Davis, Britain's Brexit Secretary, and the French ministers for Defence and European Affairs, Mr Davis barely mentioned Brexit.
This was much to the surprise of his hosts, who had regarded the meeting as an opportunity for Mr Davis to unblock French resistance to negotiations graduating to the next phase.
During a meeting in Luxembourg, the British judge in the European Court of justice bemoaned "the quality of politicians in Westminster".
Ian Forrester wondered if the British public might view Brexit as "a great mistake" when they realised what leaving the EU entailed.
A minister in the Czech government told his Irish interlocutors that Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was "unimpressive", but that at least he had "avoided any gaffes" during a visit in September.
The Czech Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Jakub Dürr told officials "he felt sorry for British Ambassadors around the EU trying to communicate a coherent message when there is political confusion at home".
www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2017/1122/921997-coveney/
Ireland is determined to hold firm on the demand for matching customs rules on both sides of the border after Brexit, the Taoiseach has said.
Leo Varadkar said the proposal to avoid a hard border was backed by all members of the EU27, but he made clear that even if there was a softening of stance among other European leaders he would not back down.
"We have the absolute support of the other European Union member states that are remaining," he told the Dail.
"We have not come under any pressure as yet to soften our position.
"However, I am not so naive as to think that that may not occur. We will avoid at any cost being isolated. However, even if we are isolated, we have to hold to this position, in my view."
Responding to claims that the Irish and UK governments' relationship has markedly deteriorated due to their opposing views on how to manage the border, Mr Varadkar insisted personal relations remained "very good".
He added: "The difficulty is not so much one of relations or relationships but rather the enormous policy gap that now exists between a United Kingdom government that wants to leave the European Union - it seems to be pursuing a hard Brexit policy by leaving the single market and customs union - and an Irish government that accepts the decision the UK people have made but wants to protect our national interests, not only those relating to trade between Britain and Ireland but our national interests in respect of Northern Ireland as well."
He predicted a "difficult few weeks and months ahead" in the Brexit talks.
"This is potentially a historic decision for us," he said.
Politicians in Dublin and Brussels have warned that if Northern Ireland operated outside the rules of the customs union and single market it could have dire consequences for the island's economy and the cross-border provisions of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.
Europe is calling for a solution that would see Northern Ireland continue to be in compliance with the EU's regulatory framework, to enable the retention of a free-flowing border.
Mr Varadkar told TDs: "We think it can be best achieved if the United Kingdom, either on behalf of all of the UK or on behalf of Northern Ireland, commits to regulatory equivalence, that is to say, that we will operate the same rules and regulations. Without doing that, it is almost impossible to avoid some form of hard border."
This week DUP leader Arlene Foster accused Dublin and Brussels of acting "recklessly" in regard to Northern Ireland and claimed they were trying to use the region as a bargaining chip.
This suggestion of Northern Ireland operating under different trade regulations from the rest of the UK has angered the DUP and other unionists.
Earlier Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney claimed the UK was failing to offer credible answers to the "hard questions" Ireland and the EU were asking about the fate of the border.
Mr Coveney rejected suggestions that Dublin and Brussels are seeking to exploit the uncertainty over Northern Ireland's position to strengthen the EU's hand in the negotiations.
"We are certainly not seeking to exploit anything," Mr Coveney said on a visit to Belfast.
"We are trying to protect a peace process that so many people from all backgrounds, unionist and nationalist, have worked so hard to create."
The Fine Gael minister added: "What's happening here is we are asking the hard questions and unfortunately we are not getting credible answers, which is why I think some people seem to be uncomfortable."
www.rte.ie/news/2017/1122/921899-ni_power_sharing_haass/
Haass: Stormont crisis could bring push for Irish unity
Updated / Wednesday, 22 Nov 2017 23:49
Richard Haass says he hopes Northern Ireland crisis does not lead to any resumption of violence
A former US diplomat, who chaired previous political negotiations in Northern Ireland, has predicted the current power-sharing impasse could bring a push for Irish unity.
Richard Haass said a combination of poor leadership, Brexit and failure to deal with the legacy of the past had created the problems facing Stormont.
Mr Haass, the current president of the New York based Council on Foreign Relations, expressed hope that the political deadlock would not usher in a return to violence.
In 2013, Mr Haass was drafted in to chair crunch talks aimed at averting the collapse of power-sharing.
Despite weeks of cross-party negotiations in Belfast, he failed to find a breakthrough on the thorny issues of flags, parading and the legacy of the Troubles.
He had previously served as special envoy to Northern Ireland under the presidency of George W Bush.
The Stormont Executive has not sat since power-sharing between the DUP and Sinn Féin collapsed in January.
Protracted talks to resolve the ongoing disagreements around language and cultural issues, including over whether to have an Irish Language Act, have failed to yield a breakthrough.
British Prime Minster Theresa May met both sides at Downing Street yesterday and said she remained hopeful an agreement can be reached.
Last night, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he would urge the recall of the British Irish Inter-Governmental Conference if a deal to revive power-sharing proved elusive.