BRATISLAVA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of 27 European Union (EU) countries want to showcase their unity and prove that the bloc is a unique project, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said upon arrival at an informal EU summit held in Bratislava Friday.
The gathering, aimed at restoring public faith in the EU, was called an "informal" summit, because any formal one has to include Britain until it leaves the union.
It was necessary to hold a meeting following Britain's referendum to leave the EU, Fico said, adding the 27 leaders will have a very sincere discussion on the state of the union and the "most important issues" in the upcoming half a year.
"I am positive that the summit will be a success from this viewpoint," he said.
Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak said that the EU has been losing the support of its citizens.
"Many populist and xenophobic political parties have won public support. We should stop this trend as soon as possible," Lajcak stressed.
The Slovak capital is hosting the leaders of all EU member states, excluding Britain for the first time.
The first session of the summit will be dedicated to comparing notes on the current situation in the EU, while the second will focus on specific steps that need to be taken in the next few months. The two sessions will be separated by an informal lunch during a boat trip on the Danube River, where the delegates will discuss the fallout of Brexit.
