KYIV. Oct 31 (Interfax) - Ukrainian society is now split on the issue of their country's accession to NATO, and this issue will have to be resolved through a referendum, said Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

"Ukraine's accession to NATO is an issue that splits Ukrainian society," Tymoshenko said at a joint press conference with Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme following talks in Kyiv.

"Ukraine's accession to any collective security system should be accomplished through a nationwide referendum," Tymoshenko said. At the same time, Ukraine welcomes its active cooperation with NATO, which it views as successful, "as well as actually the case with other countries that are not NATO members, including Russia," she said.

Tymoshenko said that, during the meeting with Leterme, they came to the conclusion that Ukraine and Belgium had the same positions "regarding the forming of a European security system."

"Ukraine can be an efficient participant" in this system, she said.

The Belgian premier said he supported Ukraine's integration into the EU and NATO and called for following the agreements on this issue reached at a NATO summit in Bucharest.

Taking questions from journalists, Leterme said Ukraine has to comply with a number of requirements to join NATO, including reaching a consensus on this issue within the population, and also by meeting a number of political objectives.

Leterme said geopolitical conditions in the region have their own specifics, and Ukraine so far does not exactly qualify for NATO, although it has good prospects to become a member in the future.