"Because of the unusual nature of the crisis we are choosing an unusual path," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said after the joint announcement.

The suspect left a number of rambling texts and videos espousing racist views, authorities said, and claimed to have been under surveillance since birth.

The agreement came after about four hours of talks at the chancellery in Berlin.

December served up a warning of the massive challenges ahead for the European Union.

Merkel noted that her visit comes amid rising anti-Semitism and historical revisionism and vowed that Germany would not tolerate anti-Semitism.

The two-day summit kicks off with receptions at Buckingham Palace and Downing Street later Tuesday. A short working session will be held at a golf resort in outer London on Wednesday.

The European Union and Germany say they appreciate the ``continuity'' in Canadian climate change policy that will result from the federal election result.

Voters in Saxony, a region of around 4.1 million people bordering Poland and the Czech Republic, and neighbouring Brandenburg, which has 2.5 million inhabitants and surrounds Berlin, elected new state legislatures.

Efforts to salvage consensus among the Group of Seven rich democracies on the economy, trade and environment were fraying around the edges even as leaders were arriving before their three-day summit in southern France.

Merkel indicated that a solution for the contentious Irish border issue might yet be reached before the Brexit date of Oct. 31.