In an interview with Gila Benmayor, a columnist on the Turkish daily newspaper Hürriyet, Caroline Flint discussed European thinking in the run-up to the London Summit, and whether US-European relations were improving.

Ms Benmayor started by asking the UK Minister for Europe whether the European countries were thinking along the same lines ahead of the G20 meeting in London on 2nd April. Ms Flint replied that the EU had never been more united: the 27 countries had all been affected in different ways by the global economic crisis, but there was consensus on the need to reform international financial institutions, to think about the appropriate level of regulation and to kick-start the global economy.

The London Summit 'won’t be the end of the process,' she said. 'It will continue beyond 2nd April. But it is very important that the world leaders meeting in London set the direction of travel.'

The next question was whether there was any divergence between the European Union and the United States of America. The Minister for Europe said the London Summit had created a real opportunity to launch a new partnership. Many of the concerns that President Barack Obama had expressed were shared – about how the crisis started, the damage done by the credit crunch and the need for better regulation and an economic stimulus. 'On these themes, we're very much in harmony with our American colleagues, and particularly this new administration,' she added.

Finally, Ms Benmayor asked whether the election of President Obama had improved the transatlantic relationship. Ms Flint said the global crisis had demonstrated to politicians around the world that more than ever before they needed to talk and work together – the impact was not confined to one continent. The US President had expressed very eloquently the importance of the US relationship with the EU, the world’s biggest trading bloc. 'A strong European Union not only benefits Europe,' she said. 'It also benefits America too – and I think he recognises that.'