Van Rompuy: "No" vote in referendum on EU-Ukraine deal will be a disgrace to the Dutch government

14.03.2016 14:23

Ukrinform

Former President of the European Council and the former Prime Minister of Belgium Herman Van Rompuy believes that possible negative result on the Dutch referendum regarding the Association Agreement between EU-Ukraine that is scheduled on April 6 would be a disgrace to the government of the Netherlands.

He told the Dutch newspaper Trouw in his interview.

"If later the majority of the Dutch vote "no", it will make the Netherlands less reliable partner", the newspaper quotes him as saying.

Van Rompuy noted that the government and parliament have already ratified the Association Agreement. According to him, the Netherlands became the only country that uses a similar procedure.

Van Rompuy also said that the tragic events on the Maidan Square in Kyiv city, and the war in the eastern Ukraine began since the Association Agreement and Ukraine is in need of support.

"Let's also not forget that the war has started with the Association Agreement. If you leave the situation as it had been before the Maidan, it will mean that these people died in vain. Because it is not so much an economic war, this war is about values. If we stop our backing, Ukraine will be lost," he said.

It was reported earlier, the Netherlands will vote in consultative referendum on the Association Agreement between EU-Ukraine on April 6.