ICELANDERS REJECT EU MEMBERSHIP NEGOTIATIONS

REYKJAVIK, AUGUST 30 /SRNA/ - A majority of Icelanders have rejected in a referendum a proposal to resume negotiations on the country's membership in the European Union, official referendum results showed.

The proposal was supported by 47.2 percent of voters, while 53.8 percent voted against it. A total of 225,031 people voted, representing a turnout of 82.5 percent, Euronews reported. Iceland applied for EU membership in 2009, following the global financial crisis that severely affected the country. However, accession negotiations were suspended in 2013 by the then Eurosceptic government.