Photo: AFP

Leaders of Ireland, Italia and Holland asked the United Kingdom to stay in the European Union (EU), after UK Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to conduct a referendum about UK’s status in EU. At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Holland’s Prime Minister Mark Rutte warned that UK will not be the bridge between US and Europe, a lonely ‘island’ in Atlantic if it withdraws the membership status from EU. It may leave negative effects on the world economy in general. Ireland’s Prime Minister Enda Kenny stressed that the UK is still EU’s center and EU will be stronger if UK is a part of it. Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti expressed his hope that UK’s citizens will chose to continue the dedicated relationship with Brussels, since UK will lose many interests if it backs out of the EU. Previously, Prime Minister Cameron had announced that London did not turn its back on the EU but would want to have a resolution for EU to be more competitive and flexible in order to ensure UK’s position. He also urged the leaders of Europe to support his plan to undertake the referendum about this issue by the end of 2017 if Conservative Party wins in the General Election on 2015.