May says Brexit vote will not undermine N.Ireland peace deal

LONDON (Reuters) - There is no reason Britain's June vote to leave the European Union should undermine a 1998 Northern Irish peace deal, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday. Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU and Irish nationalist parties oppose Brexit, saying it could undermine the 1998 Belfast Agreement and reinstate a hard border with the Republic of Ireland. "I don't believe there's any reason to believe that the outcome of the referendum will do anything to undermine the absolute rock-solid commitment of this government and the people of Northern Ireland to the settlement that was set out in the Belfast Agreement," May told parliament. "There is, and remains, a strong support for the entirely peaceful future for Northern Ireland that has been determined by democracy and consent ... We remain committed to that." (Reporting by William James and Helen Reid, writing by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Stephen Addison)