Top EU Nations Begin Brexit Talks - Without UK

The six founding members of the European Union are meeting in Berlin to discuss Brexit - and the UK has not been invited.

The hastily arranged meeting began with a defiant message from Germany that the UK's shock vote will not destroy the EU.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier vowed they "won't let anyone take Europe from us" but admitted people throughout the continent deserved better solutions to problems such as unemployment, the refugee crisis and terror.

He said: "The shock of the vote is still sitting deep.

"It's totally clear that in times like these one should neither be hysterical nor fall into paralysis.

"After the British decision, we must also not allow ourselves to lapse into inaction. The change that is taking place is necessary and I am certain that the 27 states will defend this Europe, with a strong will to also make this post-British-decision Europe stronger.

"It's obvious there's areas in which Europe has to provide solutions, that its people are asking questions about, that's the refugees and migration crises - where we in Europe owe some answers."

Also present are the foreign ministers of France, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Germany stressed the meeting was not "an exclusive format" and that other discussions were taking place among members of what is set to become a 27-nation bloc.

Mr Steinmeier's claim that the EU would survive the UK's departure contradicts a German government paper that outlines fears that France, Austria, Finland, Netherlands and Hungary may follow .

The meeting comes after European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said there was no reason to wait until David Cameron was replaced in October to begin negotiating the UK exit .

The Prime Minister announced yesterday he would leave it to his successor to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

The article begins the two-year process of negotiating a new trade relationship with the UK's former partners.

EU leaders will open a two-day Brussels summit on the crisis on Tuesday.