BRUSSELS, (Reuters) – The Northern Irish dispute over trade with Britain could be settled within weeks, according to Thomas Byrne of Ireland’s European Affairs ministry. This would end the economic uncertainty in the region.

Byrne stated that he believes we have the right tools to reach an agreement with Northern Ireland in the next weeks. He spoke to reporters at the Brussels EU Summit.

Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister said that it was important to resolve the Northern Ireland row “pretty quickly” as it had been affecting lives and businesses.

I agree completely with the Prime Minister about how urgent this must be solved. It is imperative. Northern Ireland needs to be stable and has to have certainty about its regulations. Byrne also stated that the country urgently requires investment.

After receiving complaints from British businesses about the “Northern Ireland Protocol” affecting their trade, the EU offered London last week a set of measures that would allow them to transit goods more easily to British-ruled Province.

This protocol was effective in keeping Northern Ireland’s membership of the EU’s customs Union and single market after Brexit.

Maros Sefcovic, vice president of the European Commission, declined to set a deadline when negotiations between the EU-Britain should end. However, he indicated that he preferred they be completed by 2021.