Iraqi violence is expected to top the agenda when 25 foreign ministers from current and accession European Union states meet in Tullamore, Co Offaly, tomorrow.
"The situation has derailed so completely, the instability is so profound now that we have to get international support to deal with the crisis," said a senior EU official ahead of the two-day meeting in the home constituency of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen. "We should push more than ever for a UN-led role."
The Government, as president of the EU, wants to discuss how the EU can help support the reconstruction and stabilisation of Iraq, and it has drawn up a "question paper" on what lies ahead as the United States prepares to hand back sovereignty.
"It will be a reactive discussion rather than construction of a new policy," said one diplomat. "Unfortunately we don't wield much influence."
Diplomats said the meeting would nevertheless be a chance for the EU to find a common position on whether a UN resolution is needed to approve the transition of power on June 30th and on relations with the new Baghdad government. The foreign ministers will look more widely on how to boost EU ties with Mediterranean and Middle East countries.
Diplomats said that, in contrast to Washington, they would express concern over Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to couple a Gaza Strip pullback with strengthening major Jewish settlements in the West Bank.