The Netherlands will do all it can to prevent Britain’s pull out from the EU degenerating into a bitter divorce, Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders said on Wednesday.

Speaking after British prime minister Theresa May triggered the Brexit process, Koenders said: ‘A divorce after a golden wedding is never easy, but it is now a fact of life.’

Pointing out that it is Britain’s decision to go, Koenders said again that the UK could not pick and choose which bits of Europe to keep. There can be no question of cherry-picking, he told a news conference.

There is a lot at stake, for Britain, the EU and for our country, Koenders said in a statement. ‘We are all going to feel it, our citizens and our companies. I want to be quite clear about that.’

‘We want to separate in a proper way and properly regulate the requirements on both sides,’ the minister said, adding that ‘we must not compete each other into the ground’.

Prime minister Mark Rutte said that the position on both sides of the channel should be realistic. The Netherlands and the UK have a long history as friends, neighbours and trading partners, he said on Facebook.

‘That is a strong foundation. However, many people and Dutch companies now face a period of uncertainty,’ he pointed out. ‘The Dutch government will stand up for their interests.’

The Brits in Holland go Dutch