France's President Francois Hollande arrives for the European Union summit- the first one since Britain voted to quit- in Bratislava, Slovakia, September 16, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman

BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - A meeting of European Union leaders in Bratislava without their British counterpart showed the EU could move forward after the shock of Britain’s vote to leave the bloc, French President Francois Hollande said on Friday.

“Europe can move forward, must move forward with clear priorities that meet Europeans’ expectations,” the French leader said at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

EU leaders said they had come up with a “road map” of strategies for rebuilding public trust in the European Union.

“The spirit of our meeting was to take stock of the mistrust Europe inspires in Europeans and the hope it must bring,” Hollande added.