Minister plays down rift between UK and France

A SENIOR member of Nicolas Sarkozy’s government has moved to calm tensions between the UK and France, following the war of words sparked by David Cameron’s use of Britain’s veto to block an EU treaty.

Foreign minister Alain Juppe said that he had “not an ounce of doubt” that Anglo-French relations would be excellent again.

President Sarkozy reportedly branded the Prime Minister an “obstinate kid” for using his veto when he was unable to secure safeguards for the City of London at a Brussels summit earlier this month.

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The diplomatic spat was heightened when French finance minister Francois Baroin said he would rather be French than British economically, and Banque de France governor Christian Noyer suggested the UK, rather than France, should lose its triple-A credit rating.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Juppe denied that there had been a concerted effort by Mr Sarkozy’s government to stoke up tensions with London.

The comments “went further than their authors wished” but there was “no need for excuses on either side”, he said.

“There is not an ounce of doubt that Franco-British relations will become excellent once again as we have too much in common to allow them to deteriorate,” said Mr Juppe.

“I cannot imagine that we will push Britain out of the European Union.”