Iceland remains a close partner of the European Union (EU), a European Commission spokesman said, quoted by Reuters, BTA reported.
He was commenting today on the results of a referendum held yesterday in the island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean, in which its citizens voted against the resumption of negotiations for the country's accession to the EU.
The European Commission respects the choice of the Icelandic people, the spokesman added.
Iceland's Prime Minister Kristúrn Frostadottir said in the meantime that her country would continue to strengthen its relations with the European Economic Area.
The referendum was initiated by the Social Democrat Frostadottir, who supports European integration.
Icelandics rejected the resumption of negotiations for accession to the European Union, according to the final results of yesterday's referendum, world agencies reported, quoted by BTA.
Agence France-Presse defines the result as a serious blow to Brussels, which had looked favorably on the candidacy of the wealthy island state in the North Atlantic Ocean.
To the question "Should Iceland resume negotiations for accession to the European Union?" 52.8% of Icelanders answered “no“, and 47.2% - “yes“, show the official results published by the public television (RUV) after counting all the ballots.
Despite the small difference — about 118,000 people voted against the resumption of negotiations with the EU, and about 105,000 supported it — The result is a blow to the pro-European government led by the Social Democrats, DPA notes.
The Associated Press points out that the capital Reykjavik is the only region in the country that supported the renewal of negotiations in the referendum.