Britain names Jonathan Powell as national security adviser

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain on Friday named Jonathan Powell, the former chief of staff to ex-prime minister Tony Blair and a key negotiator in the Northern Ireland peace process, as its new national security adviser.

Powell, who also served as a diplomat in Britain's Foreign Office for 10 years, was one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended the three decades of violence that had racked Northern Ireland since the late 1960s.

"Together with his experience helping to negotiate the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and work on some of the world's most complex conflicts, he is uniquely qualified to advise the Government on tackling the challenges ahead and engage with counterparts across the globe to protect and advance UK interests," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement.

Powell currently leads Inter Mediate, a charity working on resolving international conflicts.

He succeeds Tim Barrow, who has served in the role since September 2022.

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar, writing by Muvija M)