MOSCOW (Sputnik) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel threw her weight on Thursday behind a UK’s campaign to stay inside the European Union, saying a decision to quit would hamper UK’s ability to negotiate with EU states.
Britain prepares to vote on June 23 in a referendum on the EU’s continued membership. US President Barack Obama warned Brits that a leave vote would put London at the back of the queue at trade talks.
"I personally would like Britain to stay part of the European Union… because we can cooperate with the United Kingdom better… rather than when it negotiates from outside," Merkel said.
She stressed that EU’s interior market was what made the 28-nation union an economically strong entity, and warned London that Berlin would never make concessions during trade negotiations to a country that did not share EU costs.
