Five European leaders call for closer EU-UK ties ahead of Brussels summit

Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Denmark say cooperation on clean energy will benefit both sides

Five European leaders have called for closer ties with Britain ahead of a keenly anticipated EU-UK summit.

The leaders of Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Denmark, said deeper cooperation on clean energy would benefit both sides in a letter to Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa.

Von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, and Costa, who leads the European Council, will meet Andy Burnham on 20 November in Brussels, where they hope to sign deals on food and drink, carbon emissions and youth exchange.