Merkel, Polish prime minister urge UK to stay in EU

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo agreed Friday that Britain should stay in the European Union if it honors the bloc’s key principles, Sputnikreported.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Merkel reiterated that the United Kingdom should remain part of the 28-nation bloc – but only in case of "maintaining all of the principles, for example the principle of freedom of movement."

Szydlo, who was on her first official visit to neighboring Germany, added that "a strong Germany and a strong Poland mean a strong EU."

UK Prime Minister David Cameron is seeking to renegotiate UK’s relationship with Brussels. The nation’s EU membership will be put to vote no later than end 2017. Cameron said the government’s position was to campaign for Britain to stay in the European Union.

Cameron has spent months going between London and Brussels in an effort to clinch a deal on better EU membership terms, including an exemption from the EU principle of an ever-closer union and curbs for EU immigrants.

The European Council is scheduled to meet in Brussels on February 18-19 to discuss the UK plans for an in/out referendum based on a proposal tabled last week by Council’s President Donald Tusk.

/By Trend/