EU leaders will meet Friday in Brussels for an extraordinary summit in the wake of last week's attacks in the United States, the office of Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt announced Monday.
The summit will open at 6:00 p.m. (1600 GMT), with the heads of state and government of the 15 EU member states focusing on "the evolution of the international situation," it said.
Belgium currently holds the rotating EU presidency.
Foreign ministers will take part in the summit and working dinner, which are expected to conclude with a press conference around 10:30 p.m.
Diplomats said the summit will seek to unanimously renew EU support for the United States, as Americans gear up for possible military strikes on suspected terrorist targets -- and despite the reluctance of some European NATO allies to commit their armed forces to any US operation.
But the special summit will also seek to tell Arabs, and the Islamic world in general, that "this is not a global conflict between us and them," a Brussels-based diplomat said.
The leaders could also issue a solemn message to Israel and the Palestinians, urging them to resume peace talks, the diplomat said.
Since last Tuesday's attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, European initiatives and declarations have been increasing, along with speculation on ways to bolster global efforts to combat terrorism.
EU leaders usually meet four times a year; their next scheduled meeting, in the Flemish city of Ghent, is still set for October 19-20. Belgium holds the agenda-setting EU presidency until the end of this year.
In a brief statement, Verhofstadt's office said the leaders would focus their discussions on a joint declaration that they issued last Friday, in which they expressed Europe's solidarity with the United States.
They were also expected to redouble efforts, at a European level, in the struggle against terrorism, observers said.
Set to participate in the summit is France's President Jacques Chirac, who will have just returned from a visit to Washington -- where he will have been the first foreign leader to see President George W. Bush since the attacks.
The summit will also come on the heels of an EU foreign policy troika mission to Washington that was scheduled well before last Tuesday's attacks in New York and the US capital.
Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, EU External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten and EU foreign policy high representative Javier Solana were expected to see, among others, US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
The European Union has organized several high-level meetings since last week's attacks, including one last Friday that brought together transport ministers to discuss air transport security issues.
Justice and interior ministers, who oversee Europe's police services and judicial systems, are to covene in special session in Brussels on Thursday -- BRUSSELS (AFP)
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