France's President Francois Hollande has urged Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May to quickly come up with a negotiating stance for the UK's departure from the European Union.

French president Francois Hollande said, "There cannot be discussions or pre-negotiations before the formal Brexit negotiation. But there can be preparation and we can understand the UK's newly-formed government needs that time. But I repeat, the sooner the better in the common interest."

Hollande said Britain could not delay invoking Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty for too long, though agreed the formal Brexit procedure would not begin this year.

Hollande's remarks came just a day after Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel endorsed May's call for some breathing space to prepare for formal Brexit talks.