German FM: 'No hidden agenda' over City

The German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has offered to mend any dent in Germany's relationship with Britain after a divisive European Union summit earlier this month.

He said a strong British financial sector was in Europe's common interest.

Britain was the sole country that did not sign up to an EU agreement aimed at resolving the euro zone debt crisis, raising speculation that Britain could become isolated from European decision making which could put the UK financial sector at risk.

But Mr Westerwelle told a news conference "there is no hidden agenda against the City of London".