(adds comments from defence companies and Pentagon)
FARNBOROUGH, England, July 11 (Reuters) - Prime MinisterDavid Cameron said it was in Britain's fundamental interest toremain very close to the European Union when it renegotiates anew relationship with the bloc it voted to leave in a referendumlast month.
Speaking to global aerospace executives at the Farnboroughairshow, Cameron said Britain must accept the reality of thevote and must make it work, including forging a new relationshipwith its European partners.
"The big strategic decisions are for the next prime ministerbut the groundwork is under way," he said on Monday.
"All I would say about the outcome is this: I believe it isin our fundamental national and economic interest to remain veryclose to the European Union, for trade, for business, forsecurity, for cooperation. So let that be our goal."
Cameron announced his resignation the day after his campaignto remain in the European Union was defeated in the referendum.
He said Britain had already had a taste of the turbulence inglobal markets and in term of the value of the pound that he hadwarned would follow a leave victory.
"There will be other problems ahead - but I want to beclear: we will deal with them from a position of strength, witha growing economy, a greatly reduced deficit, lower inflationand more jobs and businesses than ever before in our country,"he said.
"Above all though, we must recognise we are in a new realitynow, we must accept it and we must make it work."
He said Britain needed to "think big and think radically" toensure the best outcome in the new circumstances, including amuch bigger push on trade and investment targeting fast-growingeconomies like India and China.
The bosses of Britain's two biggest defence companies, BAESystems and Rolls-Royce, said earlier on Mondaythat they would cope with the fallout from Brexit, but theyneeded government to play its part.
Also speaking at Farnborough, the U.S. Pentagon chief armsbuyer Frank Kendall said Britain's vote to leave the Europeanunion was not expected to fundamentally alter its ties with theU.S. military or weapons-related trade.
(Reporting by Paul Sandle, Kate Holton and Karin Strohecker;editing by Stephen Addison)