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The new coalition government will be "assertive" in its dealings with Europe, Foreign Secretary William Hague has said.

Before the election some people believed a Conservative administration would be disengaged from Europe.

But Mr Hague told the BBC that other European countries would find the UK eager to be involved.

The foreign secretary's comments came as he embarked on a visit to four European capitals.

Mr Hague said he would be urging Europe to act more decisively in international affairs, backing further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear policy and wanting firm action in the Balkans where old animosities, particularly in Bosnia, threaten to re-surface.

BBC Europe editor Gavin Hewitt says that in what some may regard as a strange twist, the foreign secretary is urging the European Union not to lose confidence as it battles with the crisis that threatens the euro. -bbc