New EU chief and UK leader eye closer collaboration

President of the European Council Antonio Costa and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a bilateral meeting at 10 Downing Street.

Costa was set to officially invite the British prime minister to join a gathering of the EU's 27 leaders in February to discuss cooperating on defence. Costa's maiden visit to Britain came as the two sides press to improve ties after Brexit.

They agreed "on the vital importance of closer collaboration between like-minded partners at an increasingly volatile time for the world," they said in a joint statement.

The two leaders discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, and on Syria "agreed on the importance of ensuring a peaceful transition towards long-term political stability, the statement said.

The two leaders also talked about the first EU-UK summit early next year.