BRUSSELS: European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic and British Foreign Minister Liz Truss held talks about Northern Ireland in a "constructive atmosphere" on Monday and affirmed their wish for positive EU-UK relations.

In a joint statement, the two agreed that officials would meet again next week to advance discussions.

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"They reaffirmed their shared desire for a positive EU-UK relationship underpinned by our shared belief in freedom and democracy and cooperation on common global challenges," the statement said.