Iceland Suspends EU Accession Talks Indefinitely

Icelandic Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson said Thursday the island had suspended European Union accession talks indefinitely, following up on an election promise made earlier this year.

"We have dissolved our task force and negotiation teams, and there won't be any other summits," Sveinsson told parliament.

A Euro-skeptic center-right coalition won legislative elections in April, running on a program that included an end to accession talks.

"The government is in agreement on this subject. The process has been suspended. But nothing has been closed down, and we will improve our communication and strengthen our ties with the EU without actually joining," Sveinsson said.

Public opinion on the island has so far been against membership of the EU, with fisheries posing a major obstacle.

Reykjavik and Brussels have tried, but so far failed, to resolve a dispute over mackerel, with the EU threatening trade sanctions if Iceland does not reduce its quota.

Another meeting on the subject Sunday in Reykjavik failed to find a compromise.