Britain's newly elected Prime Minister David Cameron said British interest was in line with a "stable" and "successful" eurozone on Thursday at the Elysee Palace after his first foreign meeting
with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
When asked about whether it was right for Britain to stay away from crisis-troubled eurozone, the conservative British leader explained his concerns but underlining that Britain would work together with eurozone
members for a better economic future.
"I have concerns about euro on a fundamental base, because it's difficult when you have a single currency, a single interest rate and
sometimes need single economic policy across Europe. That's always been my concern," Cameron said at the news conference after working dinner with Sarkozy.
"Let me be absolutely clear that it's in Britain's interest that the eurozone is a success, that euro is a successful currency and ... those eurozone members that have problems are helped," he said, adding that since British trade within Europe was important, that "eurozone is strong, stable and growing is in our own national interest."
Sarkozy welcomed Cameron's attitude by saying he believed the European Union "are strongly united" rather than separated. The French president said they had spent most of the diner discussing ways to reduce budget deficit of
European countries and to stem negative market speculations.
"The problems we both have to be addressing are budget deficits and we want to make sure that there is a move in Europe towards the economy in
future in terms of green growth, in terms of new business and industries we want to foster," Cameron echoed.
As to how Britain would help the eurozone, Cameron said the new administration will honor the agreement settled by his predecessor and promised to "work well together with countries that are in the eurozone."
Only focusing on cutting national deficit, Cameron's remarks maintained his former status that Britain would not take part in the eurozone
stabilization mechanism, which raised 440 billion euros (548 billion U.S. dollars) from Europe to help debt-ridden members.
The British leader said to solve the current problem would need addressing the causes of the problems, such as deficits in the debts and
past over-borrowing actions, therefore he supported German and French efforts on regulation reform related to deficits.
Cameron hoped that further agreements about financial reform across Europe can be reached in the forthcoming G8 and G20 meetings.
Through reforms "about the banking system" and "the ideas of banking levy ... and retail bank shouldn't be revolved in the most risky
activities," Britain and other European countries will work together to "secure our financial system in the future," Cameron said.