British, Irish leaders talk over phone on Brexit border deal

LONDON, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May and her Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar on Wednesday spoke on the telephone regarding the Brexit border deal in Ireland, May's office said in a statement here.

The two leaders' phone conversation took place as May is facing mounting pressure to secure a breakthrough after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), May's political allies, expressed shock on Tuesday at the handling of the Irish border question and Brexit-supporting Tories said the time had come to walk away.

Also on Wednesday, Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, said that she is ready to fly to London to examine finer points of Brexit agreement on the Irish border, but more work is needed.

Foster said there is "still work to be done in London" after her short telephone call to the prime minister on Wednesday morning over the Irish border issue in the Brexit talks.

The border between Ireland, a member of the European Union (EU), and the British province of North Ireland, is one of the three major issues to be resolved before an agreement is reached by London and Brussels over the British exit from the regional bloc. The other two are divorce fee and the right of EU citizens in Britain.

May voiced her hope to secure the launch of the second phase of the Brexit talks, currently stalled over major issues, when she meets with EU leaders next week. Enditem