LONDON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- While Britain and the European Union (EU) are generally hopeful that British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss's new role as the chief negotiator for post-Brexit talks might make negotiations more amiable, many are clear-eyed that it remains difficult to break the stalemate across the Channel.
On Tuesday, only two days after Truss was handed the Europe portfolio following the sudden resignation of former Brexit minister David Frost, Truss took a quick move to have an online meeting with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic.
Reiterating that Britain wants a constructive relationship with the EU, Truss said: "The UK position has not changed. We need goods to flow freely between Great Britain and Northern Island, end the role of the ECJ (the European Court of Justice) as the final arbiter of disputes between us, and resolve other issues."
She urged the two sides to "pick up pace" on talks in the new year, saying reaching an agreed solution remains their "preference."
However, the issue involving trade in Northern Ireland remains thorny despite the change of the key British negotiator.
As part of the agreed rules following Britain's departure from the EU, the Northern Ireland Protocol means goods between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could continue to be sent seamlessly across the border which is now the only EU frontier within the British Isles. However, a de-facto border was created down the middle of the Irish Sea, which has been heavily criticized by businesses saying it has made it more difficult to send goods to Northern Ireland from the British mainland.
Discussions between London and Brussels about how to operate the protocol have reached an impasse, with the EU reportedly complaining about Frost's hardline stance and bad temper.
However, anyone expecting a softer line on Brexit from the British side with Truss now as chief negotiator would likely need to think twice as she said: "If this does not happen we remain prepared to trigger Article 16."
Article 16 is an emergency mechanism in the Protocol that either Britain or the EU can use to introduce temporary safeguard measures to protect its economy and society in the event of "serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist." But it could lead to a trade war and the collapse of the Brexit trade agreement.
Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform, a thinktank, expressed doubt whether Truss's popularity within British ruling Conservative Party can help strike a successful deal with the EU on the protocol.
"I doubt Truss will enjoy Frost's power and authority over the UK's approach in Brexit talks, for four reasons. First, she lacks the close personal bond with Johnson that Frost had formed. Second, she is not an EU expert, and Frost is. Third, unlike Frost, she is not naturally a politician who likes to delve into the detail. And fourth, being foreign secretary is already a full-time job that will demand a lot of her attention," Grant said.
The general state of mind across the EU is "we are on a wait-and-see mode," and diplomats prefer to be cautious about predicting about the future and have "low expectations," an article on U.S. news portal Politico said on Monday.
Following Tuesday's virtual meeting, Sefcovic said on Twitter: "I'm committed to continue working towards a conclusive understanding with the UK on practical solutions for NI (Northern Ireland) stakeholders. The EU's position is known. Our goal: stability and predictability."
Despite the uncertainties, Professor Iain Begg from London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) told Xinhua that he welcomed the prospect of new talks.
"I thought the proposals from Sefcovic on easing border controls would enable a solution for Northern Ireland," he said.
However, he pointed out that the two sides remain far apart on key issues such as the role of the ECJ.
Britain's resistance to any role for the ECJ remains "untenable," he said. Enditem