Dutch referendum results show distrust in Ukraine-EU treaty

The results of a referendum in the Netherlands show most Dutch citizens oppose a Ukraine-European Union (EU) political and economic treaty, the Kremlin said Thursday.

Russia considers the outcome of the referendum in the Netherlands an internal affair and will not interfere in the matter, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told local media.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev tweeted earlier in the day that the outcome of the referendum in the Netherlands is an indicator of current European sentiment toward the current Ukrainian political system.

A vast majority of Dutch voters rejected the Ukraine-European Union Association Agreement in a referendum on Wednesday, with the turnout being just above the threshold of 30 percent.

The agreement is a treaty between the EU and Ukraine on political, economic and a broad range of legislation and regulation topics. The EU has similar agreements with Turkey, Chile and Morocco, and a number of other countries.

The Netherlands is the only country in the 28-nation EU that still has to ratify the agreement, although the deal has been approved by both the upper and lower houses of the Dutch parliament.
Source: XINHUA