BRUSSELS, Aug 30 (Bernama-dpa) -- Iceland has narrowly rejected restarting talks on joining the European Union in a referendum, with 52.8 per cent voting against and 47.2 per cent in favour, according to official results on Sunday, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
Polls closed at 2200 GMT on Saturday in a referendum held after geopolitical tensions pushed the question of EU membership back to the top of the agenda.
The vote was announced in March by the pro-EU government led by the Social Democrats, which had pledged to hold a referendum on reopening accession talks after coming to power in the 2024 election.
Iceland applied for EU membership in 2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis, which hit the country particularly hard. Accession talks were suspended in 2013 after a eurosceptic government took office.
Opponents of EU membership have argued that joining the bloc would undermine Iceland's sovereignty, with fishing rights a particular concern.
The fishing industry is a cornerstone of the Icelandic economy, and many opponents feared having to cede control over the country's waters.
-- BERNAMA-dpa
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