YEREVAN, OCTOBER 21, ARMENPRESS. Britain expects to be part of EU decision-making until Brexit, Theresa May has told fellow EU leaders, BBC reported.

The prime minister said the UK should still be part of summits and negotiations when matters affecting all 28 member states were being discussed.

Sources have denied the issue was the subject of a row at a dinner at the EU summit - Mrs May's first as PM.

Both the French president and German chancellor warned if Mrs May pursued a "hard Brexit", talks would be hard too.

Arriving at the summit in Brussels on Thursday, Mrs May pledged to continue to "work closely" with the EU after Brexit.

She stressed it was important to have a "united European stance" against "Russian aggression" that included "sickening" violence in Syria.

She told fellow leaders they "must be ready to take steps to change Russia's approach and the way it thinks about this if we are ever to bring an end to the violence in Syria", according to No 10 sources.

Over a dinner with fellow EU leaders that included pan-fried scallops, crown of lamb with roast fig and iced vanilla parfait, sources said Mrs May also raised the issue of continuing UK participation in meetings.

Sources said she was keen that the UK was still fully included in discussions that affected all members - particularly on security issues - but denied she was concerned about being "frozen out".

The prime minister has promised to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - beginning two years of formal exit negotiations with the EU - by the end of March.

This means Brexit, backed in a UK-wide referendum in June, will take place by the summer of 2019.

The Brussels summit is not focused on the UK's withdrawal, with the official agenda instead dominated by migration, trade and relations with Russia.

On arrival, Mrs May said: "The UK is leaving the EU, but we will continue to play a full role until we leave and we will be a strong and dependable partner after we have left."

"It's in the interests of both the UK and the EU that we continue to work closely together, including at this summit."

Several European leaders have questioned whether the UK can continue to have access to the European single market once it leaves the EU, particularly as this is likely to mean greater UK controls on immigration from within the EU.

European Council President Donald Tusk has insisted no formal talks between the UK and the EU can start until Article 50 is invoked.

But he offered Mrs May some words of encouragement, saying: "Some media described her first meeting in the European Council as entering the lion's den. It's not true. It's more like a nest of doves.

"You can be sure she will be absolutely safe with us."

But French President Francois Hollande said: "I say very firmly, (if) Mrs May wants a hard Brexit, the negotiations will be hard."

And German Chancellor Angela Merkel echoed that view, saying: "In practice, that will be a tough road."

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