Brussels, 08/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 8 November, the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, said how important the support of citizens is in the enlargement process. He was speaking after a meeting with the prime minister of Iceland, Johanna Siguroardottir. “The majority of the Icelandic public continues to support the accession talks. Strong public support remains essential for EU enlargement, in candidate countries and in EU member states”, Herman Van Rompuy said, also welcoming progress made so far in the EU accession negotiations with Iceland. “This progress is due to the high level of confidence and cooperation between all parties involved”, he added. During their meeting, Siguroardottir and Van Rompuy also discussed the economic and social situation in Europe. The president of the European Council underlined that Iceland has improved its economic situation and completed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. The prime minister of Iceland also met up with the president of the European Commission. (CG/tarnsl.jl)