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Arlene Foster and Michel Barnier have been trading barbs all week since the DUP leader put into question the Frenchman's "honesty" as a broker for the Brexit talks. Mr Barnier reportedly suggested MEPs in Brussels that Ms Foster's party had "perhaps abused" its position in the House of Commons to stop negotiations with the European Union. But the DUP leader harshly dismissed his comments, telling Andrew Marr the EU negotiator should "engage" more to reach an agreement with London. Ms Foster said: "Michel Barnier was in Ireland last week and came to Northern Ireland and we regretted the tone, and I certainly regretted the tone of what he had to say when he was there. "What he was saying there was really that it was up to the Uk to come up with a solution and they would wait for that solution to come. That’s not the way forward."

TELE MATIN•BBC Brexit news: Arlene Foster said she "regretted" Michel Barnier's tone

The Irish border question delayed the first phase of Brexit talks, with both sides dismissing each other's proposals to avoid the creation of a hard border between Ulster and the Republic of Ireland. As part of Brexit talks the EU has drawn up a “backstop” agreement into the draft withdrawal bill to prevent a hard border emerging on the island of Ireland and will trigger it should Theresa May fails to resolve the border issue. But if it were to be introduced, Northern Ireland would remain in the EU’s customs union, according to Brussels’ plans. Ms Foster continued: "The way forward is to have a negotiation where both sides are engaged in the negotiation and we look for a solution that will make the difference. "It’s not only the UK that has to look to the future: the EU27 have to look for a way forward as well that will be good for them in terms of goods and services."

I certainly regretted the tone of what he had to say when he was there Arlene Foster