WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on European leaders Thursday to resolve the eurocrisis and seek ways to promote growth and jobs, saying the health of the global economy depended on them.
On the eve of her 38th trip to Europe, Clinton told a Washington think-tank that the United States and the world were counting on Europe.
"The eurozone is slipping back into recession as austerity policies take effect," she told the Brookings Institution.
"So it's vital to the entire global economy that European leaders move toward policies that promote credible and sustainable growth and create jobs."
But she acknowledged that "this is fundamentally a European problem that requires European solutions. America can't and shouldn't try to dictate any answer or approach."
She was speaking ahead of a trip to Europe next week, which will see her travel to Prague, Brussels for a NATO foreign ministers meeting, and Dublin for talks with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
But the top US diplomat stressed that America also had to get its house in order to maintain its position in the world and ensure security.
"So many of the things we do around the world depend on our economic strength. From providing defense to investing in emerging markets, to aiding developing, to responding to crises," Clinton said.
"And there may be no greater threat to our security and our transatlantic partnership than a weak economic future on one or both sides of the Atlantic.
"If we are serious about strengthening our economic ties, we each need to build stronger foundations at home. For the United States this means making tough political choices.
"It means investing in our own competitiveness to set the platform for strong economic growth, and it means addressing our domestic fiscal challenges."
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