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410859
Wed, 06/29/2016 - 12:43
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Give Effect To Brexit Decision As Soon As Possible - EU Envoy

By Azzah Mohamad Som KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 (Bernama) -- The Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Malaysia, Luc Vandebon, described the Britain Exit referendum, or Brexit, as unprecedented, saying that Britain is now expected to give effect to this decision as soon as possible. "We now expect that since the United Kingdom has decided to leave the EU, the UK government will give effect to this decision of the British people as soon as possible, however painful that process may be," Vandebon said in a telephone interview with Bernama. The EU hoped the UK would invoke Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon as soon as possible, the envoy said, commenting on the historic referendum, which saw the "Leave" camp obtaining nearly 52 per cent of ballots, pulling the country out of the bloc after 43 years of membership. Among other things, Article 50 states that any member state may decide to withdraw from the union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements. Vandebon said the moment Article 50 was invoked, negotiations on the terms and conditions of UK's withdrawal from the EU could start, adding that the process will last two years. During the two years, the UK will remain a member of the EU with full rights and obligations, and all the EU legislations will continue to apply within the UK as well, he said. "As I said we regret the outcome of the referendum. We obviously would have like the UK to remain a member of the EU, that is now not going to be the case. We, as well as the UK will now have to live the consequences of this decision," he said. On a report which said that by cutting loose from the EU, Britain will be able to rein in high levels of immigration and take back power from Brussels, the envoy said, that from now on it was up to the country to decide. "It is not up to us. They decide to go on their own, to not want to adhere anymore to EU regulations or legislation in this respect. So what the UK would want to set in place is up to the UK," the envoy said. On another note, the envoy said, the EU will stand strong and uphold its core values of promoting peace and well being of its peoples, which was the core objective of the EU or the European community since its set-up in the 50s. Vandebon said this was the statement issued after meetings were held between the presidents of the European Council, Commission and Parliament -- Donald Tusk, Jean-Claude Juncker and Martin Schulz, respectively -- and Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, over the weekend, following the result of the referendum. --BERNAMA

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