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Reuters
Mary Lou McDonald, President of Sinn Féin, warned Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab that the border problem with Ireland was not a "footnote"
Sinn Fein accused the government of acting "in bad faith" over Brexit and warned that the border issue was not a "footnote".
Party President Mary Lou McDonald spoke after a meeting with Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab.
She added that the government had "backed down" on its commitment to respect the Good Friday agreement.
The "backstop" of Northern Ireland remains the main unresolved issue in the negotiations.
Ms. McDonald added that the meeting of Sinn Féin with Mr. Raab was "direct".
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Reuters
The DUP also met with Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab in Stormont
The DUP's leader, Arlene Foster, said she hoped for a deal on the Brexit close, adding that she had clearly explained to Mr. Raab that it was important that "what's more" to have no customs barriers, we can have no regulatory barrier "between Northern Ireland and the UK.
When BBC News NI asked him if Mr. Raab had given this assurance, Ms. Foster had stated that it was "an ongoing process".
Sending to BBC News NI at the conclusion of his meeting with the political parties, the Brexit Secretary reiterated the government's commitment to not adopt a border on the Irish Sea .
He said: "We have made it clear that we will never sign anything that would threaten the economic, constitutional, or territorial integrity of the United Kingdom."
When asked if he ruled out the introduction of new regulatory controls on goods entering Northern Ireland, he said he would not "comment on the negotiations." In progress".
"We want a friction free trade with the EU and we want to preserve the internal market in the UK," he added.
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EPA
Secretary of Brexit expects to be able to answer Members' questions on Brexit on 21 November
Earlier, Raab was accused of behaving "like a thief at night" during his visit to Northern Ireland.
Mr. Raab met with politicians and business leaders and visited Warrenpoint Harbor in Down County and Larne Harbor in Antrim County.
However, Sinn Féin South Down MP Chris Hazzard protested the Brexit Secretary's refusal to meet local politicians.
Chris Hazzard said the Brexit negotiations were "an absolute disaster"
Speaking in front of Warrenpoint Harbor, Mr Hazzard said it was "an example of the" cynicism and disrespect "shown towards South's electorate. Down and that Mr. Raab had entered "like a thief in the night" without listening to people and their concerns leaving the EU.
Local SDLP MP Sinéad Bradley said it was "shameful" that Raab did not find the time to meet local politicians.
"I suspect that he did not want to hear the voices of the people of the region," she said.
Sinéad Bradley said that she thought that Mr. Raab did not want to hear the voice of the local people
The "support" of Northern Ireland remains the main unresolved issue in the ongoing withdrawal negotiations.
Colm Shannon of the Newry Chamber of Commerce described Raab's visit to Warrenpoint as "a welcome opportunity for local businesses to highlight our concerns about the border and future trade relations with the EU".
"It was a useful visit and he listened to the concerns of local businesses, especially those who trade north-south," he said.
He said that an open border and the freedom to trade between east and west were essential to the continued success of the port.
The backstop is an arrangement that will apply if the Irish border can not be maintained as frictionless as it is now in the context of a larger deal.
The EU and the UK have agreed on the need for a backstop, but not how it should work.
The EU has proposed a reinforcement that would ensure that Northern Ireland remains in the EU's customs union, much of the single market and the VAT system of the EU. 39; EU.
The UK government rejected this proposal as a threat to the UK's integrity and suggested a support system that would allow the UK as a whole to remain aligned with the Customs Union of the United Kingdom. 39, EU for a limited period.
& # 39; Intensify & # 39;
A letter from Raab, published earlier this week, suggested he wait for an agreement on the UK's exit from the EU within three weeks.
The secretary of Brexit told a committee of deputies that he was happy to appear before them to testify "when an agreement is finalized" and that "November 21 should be appropriate".
However, Mr. Raab's own department later clarified that there was "no fixed date for the conclusion of the negotiations".
November 21st was the date proposed by the chairman of the committee, the statement added.
At the same time, the Irish Foreign Minister said that it was incumbent on the UK to "intensify" the negotiations.
Simon Coveney, who met with Raab on Tuesday night, said the time was running out and that a comprehensive deal was possible within three weeks, but that it was soon to take shape.
Coveney and Irish Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan will hold a meeting in Dublin later on Friday for the last session of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC).
This will be the second time in about three months that the conference will be held, after not having been convened for more than ten years.
The UK government will be represented by Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley and Cabinet Minister David Lidington.
