German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed Wednesday, December 14, that the United Kingdom remains a strong partner of the European Union despite vetoing a proposed treaty aimed at overcoming the ongoing sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone and saving the euro, RTTNews reported.

"I regret that the UK has not been able to join us on this journey," Merkel told the country's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag. "I believe Great Britain will in future continue to be an important partner in the European Union," Merkel said. "Great Britain has its own vital interest that the eurozone will overcome its own financial crisis."