Britain not turning its back on Europe: Cameron
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DAVOS, Switzerland (AFP) - Britain is not turning its back on Europe, Prime Minister David Cameron said, after angering his partners in the European Union by announcing plans for a referendum on Britain's membership in the EU.
Mr Cameron also insisted that his vow in a speech in London on Wednesday to let the British people vote on the issue by the end of 2017 would not deter foreign investors.
"This is not about turning our backs on Europe - quite the opposite," Mr Cameron told the World Economic Forum in Davos. "It's about how we make the case for a more competitive, open and flexible Europe, and secure the UK's place within it."
Mr Cameron played down comments by his main European partners that Britain could not pick and choose what it wanted from the EU, and reiterated his view that the bloc needed urgent reforms to make it competitive.
