Nieuwe Britse premier en Franse president bespreken Afghanistan, Iran, klimaat en eurocrisis (en)
On his first trip abroad, UK Prime Minister David Cameron i has visited French President Nicolas Sarkozy i, seeming to have put any party-political tension between the two centre-right leaders behind them.
"I said to David Cameron how I was happy to work hand in hand with him in Europe, but also in the framework of our activities in the G8 i and G20 i," Mr Sarkozy told reporters after they met in Paris on Thursday, underscoring that he was honoured that France was chosen as the new British prime minister's first destination.
Centre-right politicians in Europe had been wary of the election of a leader that took his party out of the mainstream conservative grouping in the European Parliament, the European People's Party, to forge a new anti-federalist alliance with hard-right groups from eastern Europe. However, since coming to office, he appears to have distanced his new administration from his party's instinctual euroscepticism.
The leaders focussed their discussions on the Western military intervention in Afghanistan, climate change and the troubled eurozone.
"We share exactly the same analysis on major issues such as Afghanistan, Iran, where there is a complete identity of views and the same ambition on climate change and the consequences of the Copenhagen conference ... and to ensure that the G20 is an operational structure which we bring new ideas for building a new international monetary order.
"We wish to bring our two countries together, to speak without taboos of defence issues, where we have many things to do together, regulatory issues and in particular the commitment we share to tax the banks."
Mr Sarkozy did however subtly refer to his counterpart's positions on Europe, hinting that in power such beliefs soften.
"We need the English in Europe. It is absolutely strategic. I am sure that a man like David Cameron who has an ambition for his country understands that," he said.
Mr Cameron for his part was clear that the path the UK has chosen on the question of the euro was the right one - to keep the pound.
"I think we were right not to join the euro and I think were right to stay out of the euro," he said, but stressed how the UK wants to see the euro recover from its troubles.
"Let me be absolutely clear, it's in Britain's interests that the eurozone is a success, that the euro is a successful currency, that the eurozone economies recover."
The Tory leader was effusive with his praise for Mr Sarkozy and welcomed a new working relationship across the Channel.
"I admire your leadership and your leadership in France and Europe. I think that from everything that we said tonight, we can build a true partnership focused, practical and gets results on the things that count."
Mr Cameron also emphasised their discussions on coming to grips with EU member state budget deficits, the ‘green economy" and defence matters, notably Afghanistan and Iran, and described their meeting as "very practical and productive."