The European Union must not be enlarged until Ireland accepts the Nice Treaty, the British Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, has said.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph before today's British House of Commons debate on the treaty, Mr Straw said: "We respect this `no' vote.
"If Ireland does not ratify, the treaty will not come into force."
There should be no "wholesale re-negotiation" of the treaty but the Irish government should be given time to win over its people, he said.
The EU also had a role to play in that, according to Mr Straw.
"We all need to learn lessons from Ireland's experience," he added. "The institutions of the EU cannot afford to leave the people behind.
"We must acknowledge and address people's anxieties and more convincingly explain to doubters that Britain is better off in Europe."
Mr Straw also sets out the advantages of enlargement which will see 12 eastern European states, Malta and Cyprus join the EU.
Increased trade would boost Britain's GDP by up to £1.75 billion a year, according to Mr Straw. The move would also help crack down on organised crime, drugs trafficking, illegal immigration and pollution, he said.
Under the treaty qualified majority voting would replace unanimous decisions in several areas. However, the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, and the former foreign secretary, Mr Robin Cook, had ensured Britain retained a veto in key areas, such as taxation, while introducing the possibility of much needed reform in others, Mr Straw said.