Brussels, 15/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 14 January, the Dutch minister for foreign affairs Bert Koenders announced that his government would campaign for ratification, by the Netherlands, of the association agreement with Ukraine ahead of the referendum that will take place in the Netherlands on 6 April.
“I heard that the government would not campaign. This is not true. We're proactively involved in the issue of the referendum”, Koenders stated when presenting the priorities of the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU to the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee. “We will actively take part in the debate in Dutch society. We will continue to explain the importance of this association agreement”, he added.
“The referendum has become a part of the ratification process”, Koenders said, stating that the referendum was consultative and that the government should then decide how to progress on the issue, in consultation with the Dutch parliament.
Koenders stated that he had defended the agreement before the parliament, both chambers of which gave their agreement. The association agreement covers the deepening of economic relations and political issues, but does not offer an outlook for EU membership, he said.
“It's extremely important to help the Ukrainians in the development of democracy and the rule of law, and for the modernisation of the economy”, Koenders said, adding that this could contribute to stability and prosperity at the EU's eastern border. He said that Ukraine had 45 million inhabitants and that stepping up trade with the country would benefit the Ukrainians, the Dutch and the whole EU. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)