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| The PM shares a joke with the German Chancellor and the European Parliament president |
Theresa May wants an early deal on
what Brexit means for the status of Britons in Europe and EU citizens in
the UK, she has told EU leaders.
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| Mrs May was not invited to join the 27 EU leaders in their informal discussion of Brexit |
Meanwhile, EU leaders said negotiations over the UK's exit would be approached in "a spirit of trust and unity".
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| Mrs May said EU leaders had also discussed "the appalling situation in Syria". |
But the prime minister was not invited to join the 27 other EU leaders who later met for a dinner to discuss their approach to Brexit negotiations.
The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there was a sense that Britain is already on the outside, with Mrs May looking "a bit awkward" in the crowd.
Pictures from the summit appeared to show Mrs May looking as though she had no one to talk to, however German MP Stephan Mayer said reports of her being frozen out by other leaders were "misleading".
Mr Mayer, who is Home Affairs spokesperson for the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that it was "reasonable" for the 27 EU leaders to meet without Mrs May.
Meanwhile, the BBC's Europe editor Katya Adler said: "As for the summit itself, it has to be pointed out that in all fairness, Theresa May looks like Belinda No Mates - she has nobody to talk to - but if you look at other clips she is chatting to others."
Mrs May left the summit without answering any questions on the UK's break with the EU. However, Irish PM Enda Kenny revealed what Mrs May had told them, saying: "She would like to have the question of UK citizens living in Europe and European citizens living in the UK dealt with in the early part of discussions that take place."
Mr Kenny also said the Irish Republic would not sign a bilateral deal with the UK and the UK had to agree its future relationship with the EU first.
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European Council president Donald Tusk said the "short, informal meeting" had "reconfirmed our principles, meaning the indivisibility of the four freedoms, the balance of rights and obligations and the rule 'no negotiations without notification'".
European Parliament president Martin Schulz has warned that negotiations could be vetoed if MEPs are not fully involved.
Downing Street has played down suggestions that a Brexit trade deal could take 10 years to complete, after Britain's ambassador to the EU, Sir Ivan Rogers, suggested that others in Europe believed this could be the case.
Speaking in South Korea, Chancellor Philip Hammond told the BBC that he hoped a deal could be done "in a reasonable period of amount of time".
Downing Street meanwhile has indicated that it would be possible to complete a "divorce deal" and a new trade agreement with the EU within the timetabled two years of the UK invoking Article 50 - the formal start of the process of leaving.
But Germany's Mr Mayer said that it would be "a bit naive" to think a trade deal could be done in two years.
He said: "It's not easy to make this trade agreement within two years. There is a clear German position - we want negotiations on a level playing field and certainly we would like that Great Britain stays a very important pillar in the single market.
"It's very ambitious to finish these negotiations within two years, it's a huge project." Meanwhile, reports suggest that Britain could face a £50bn bill to leave the EU, including payments to cover pension liabilities for EU staff.
Downing Street said the UK would meet its obligations while in the EU, but any financial settlement after that would be a matter for negotiation.
At the summit, the leaders also discussed controlling mass migration into Europe, the EU's relationship with Ukraine, co-operation with Nato and economic matters.