11:38

The Irish foreign affairs minister has said he is “satisfied with the direction” of Brexit negotiations but said the issue of the future look of the border in Ireland will not be discussed until the next round of talks.

In a statement Simon Coveney said a close relationship between the UK and the EU could be “facilitated by effective transitional arrangement”.

He revealed that the “negotiating teams focused on maintaining the common travel area and protecting the Good Friday agreement (GFA) in all its parts” during this second round of talks.

More work was needed to establish the mechanics of maintaining “the normalisation of daily life” achieved in border regions since the GFA almost 20 years ago, he said.

He said both sides agreed that the common travel area allowing Irish and British citizens passport-free travel between both islands should be maintained.

“It will now be for the UK side to confirm how it will ensure this,” he said.