Johnson's departure 'opportunity' for Dublin-London ties

Boris Johnson's resignation is an "

" for Dublin and London to get off to a good start, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said on Thursday July 7.

"

," he said in a statement.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Thursday that he is stepping down as Conservative leader, paving the way for the appointment of a new prime minister.

Customs provisions, subject of tension

According to Micheal Martin, the relationship between the two countries has been "

", in particular because of London's plan to unilaterally revise post-Brexit customs provisions in Northern Ireland, deemed illegal by the European Union whose is part of Ireland.

He reiterated the need to protect the Good Friday Agreement, which in 1998 ended three decades of conflict in Northern Ireland between loyalists attached to the British crown and Republicans favoring reunification.

"

," he said.