Less is better when it comes to Britain's relationship with Europe, William Hague said today as he demanded a "new settlement" with the UK's neighbours.
The Foreign Secretary said the debt crisis gripping the eurozone showed he was right to campaign to keep Britain out of the single currency in the late 1990s.
And he believed tackling the root causes of the crisis would offer chances for the UK to forge a new deal with the continent.
He said: "In our party we are looking towards the establishment of a new settlement in Europe and that will in time mean, just as it will for other nations of Europe in or out of the eurozone, a big choice for Britain which must be a real choice for Britain and which will require the fresh consent of the British people.
"So this will be our approach: making the most of Britain's great advantages in the world in a systematic and determined way, forging new connections including with old friends, extending Britain's influence at a time of rapid change, staying true to our values including the universality of human rights, and always being at the forefront in supporting democracy, freedom and peace around the world."
In a wide-ranging speech to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, former Tory leader Mr Hague cautioned against schadenfreude at the eurozone's woes - and insisted the solution was not deeper integration which included the UK.
"Some people look at the crisis and say more Europe is the only answer; I profoundly disagree," he said
"Sometimes less is more, less is better.
"So we want less bureaucracy, less pointless or damaging interference, less meddling in the issues that belong to national democracies."
The Foreign Secretary, who was given standing ovations at the start and end of his Symphony Hall speech, said Britons had "firmly made up their minds that they do not want to become part of some kind of European federation".
Mr Hague, who previously launched a "balance of competencies" review to examine which powers could return to Westminster from Brussels, added: "Our first priority must be to see the crisis resolved, since nothing would do more for growth in our economy.
"But over time we must take the opportunities for Britain to shape its relationship with Europe in ways that advance our national interest."
He also warned of the long road to peace in Syria, and said there were possibilities people "misunderstood" the Arab Spring which toppled leaders across the Middle East and North Africa from January 2011.
"This is a massive change affecting hundreds of millions of people in countries that are vastly different from each other, with their own cultures, political systems and traditions we must always respect, confronting problems it may take years to address," he said.
"This change will throw up many crises and conflict, and when we see the tragic deaths of US Ambassador Chris Stevens (in Libya) and his colleagues it could be easy to form the impression that it has all gone wrong."
But he urged optimism for the future, telling activists: "The true face of the Arab Spring is not the murderers who attacked the US consulate, but the tens of thousands of Benghazi residents who took to the streets to demand an end to militias and violence."
The Foreign Secretary said the world had changed dramatically in the 21st century thanks to globalisation, with many western countries "slipping back as emerging economies push ahead with energy and drive".
He warned the conference: "Some will make the transition to this, but others will struggle with it for decades.
"We have to make sure that Britain makes that transition."
Mr Hague also announced the reopening of the Foreign Office's language school next summer, branding its closure under Labour "totally short-sighted".
And he told activists the Second World War code-breaking centre Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire, where the Enigma machine cracked German secrets, would be restored.
He said the project would help "preserve the memory of some of the greatest intelligence achievements in our history" and would be unveiled alongside a scheme to "recruit the brightest mathematicians of the future".
He added: "When Britain has built up a key skill or advantage in the world we must always do our utmost to develop, retain and enhance it."