MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Thursday, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said Kiev would not engage in talks on amending its association deal with the European Union despite the Netherlands' suggestions.
“In principle, all options are still on the table, including non-ratification if the solution that is reached in Brussels is not acceptable back home,” Stephan Schrover told Sputnik in response to statements from Ukraine.
He also reminded that the issue was not a domestic or bilateral one “which is why we are also talking to our EU-partners and Ukraine.”
In 2014, the European Union signed an agreement with Ukraine to deepen political association and economic integration. Ukraine has had to implement a series of political and economic reforms to gain free-trade access to the EU market. In April, the Netherlands held a referendum in which 61 percent of Dutch voters rejected the ratification of the deal.
Currently, the Netherlands is the only EU state, which has not yet ratified the agreement.
The Hague insists on a legally binding and acceptable to all parties solution on the EU-Ukraine Association deal, Stephan Schrover said.
“As was indicated during the June European Council, we are seeking a solution that is legally binding and acceptable to all parties, and which addresses the concerns that were expressed in the debate,” Stephan Schrover said.
Schrover stressed that the Dutch government “cannot just proceed with ratification without addressing the outcome of the referendum.”
