Prime minister Mark Rutte has urged European leaders to show realism during the Brexit negotiations that will shape the EU’s future relationship with the United Kingdom.

Speaking following a weekend summit in Brussels between the leaders of the 27 other countries, Rutte acknowledged that the talks would be complex but stressed the need to stick to the key issues.

German chancellor Angela Merkel has said an agreement on the divorce terms should be reached before the autumn, after which talks will begin on a future trade deal between London and Brussels. The UK’s plan to tackle both issues in parallel was not supported by European leaders.

Rutte was circumspect on the question of rights for European expats living in the UK and their British counterparts living in the EU. ‘I can’t promise anything to the Dutch people living in the United Kingdom because I have no idea what will come out of the talks, but we have the sense that it will turn out fine.’

The leaders also agreed to put off a decision on where to relocate the various European bodies currently headquartered in Britain, such as the European Medicines Agency, until the autumn. The Dutch government is lobbying for Amsterdam to be the new home of the EMA.

Rutte cautioned against dragging in other other disputes within the EU, such as the European Parliament’s twin seats in Brussels and Strasbourg. Any attempt to locate the Parliament solely in Brussels, which is Rutte’s personal preference, would require a change to the Lisbon treaty.

‘Before you know it countries will be asking for more treaty changes and then we’ll end up in the kind of interminable dispute we had over the European constitution,’ Rutte said.