Britain's Tories says will work with new EU chiefs

(LONDON) - Britain's opposition Conservatives said Thursday they would work with the EU's new president and foreign policy supremo, despite opposing the treaty that created the positions.

Conservative foreign affairs spokesman William Hague congratulated the pair appointed earlier Thursday, and said the party would work with them "in the British national interest".

"We did not agree with the Lisbon Treaty's establishment of these posts but they are now a fact," Hague said.

"We look to the President of the Council and the High Representative to ensure that the EU's business as an association of nation states is conducted efficiently.

"So I am very pleased that those of us across Europe who said that the president should be a chairman, not a chief, have won the argument."

European leaders chose Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as the European Union's first president.

Britain secured the prestigious post of European foreign policy supremo for its EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton, after dropping its backing for former prime minister Tony Blair.

Both jobs were created under the bloc's Lisbon Treaty, which was finally ratified this month, after years of political wrangling.

Conservative leader David Cameron, tipped to be prime minister at Britain's general election next year, has vowed to take back powers from Europe.

The Euroskeptic earlier this month backtracked on a "cast-iron guarantee" to hold a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

He said the move was no longer practical since the Czech Republic became the last country to ratify it.