Ukraine is a long way from Spain, which holds the rotating EU presidency.
Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, also urged European leaders to find some ground for unity.
Since the Lisbon Treaty was adopted in 2009 he has acquired many of the powers previously held by the six-month rotating EU presidency.
Iceland could then become a formal candidate in late 2009, when Sweden (another ally) holds the rotating EU presidency, and a full EU member by 2011.
France, which hands over the rotating EU presidency to the Czech Republic in January, needs to win the Eastern states' support ahead of an EU summit on 11-12 December.
Meanwhile, Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, has postponed a planned trip to Rome for a week, at Mr Berlusconi's request, diplomatic sources said.
Belgium, which current chairs the rotating EU presidency, has attempted to bring the warring factions to a compromise, but has been unable to restart negotiations ahead of the scheduled September 20 vote.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said it was "the most complete agreement that the European Union has yet signed with a third country".
Firstly, that as a domestic leader, he is a miserable failure, but that in contrast, he is something of a titanic figure on the European stage, after a magnificent six months in charge of the rotating EU presidency.
Next year Hungary and Poland will each have six months in the EU's rotating presidency.
Ireland, which takes over the EU's rotating presidency in January, seems likely to take a cautious approach.
The statement was issued by French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, since France currently holds the EU's rotating presidency.
EU's rotating presidency, it was pushed by the Italians and Germans, in particular by Joschka Fischer, Germany's Green foreign minister.
EU's rotating presidency until the end of the year President Jacques Chirac was keen to put a jovial gloss on things.
That, at any rate, is the view of Tunisia's bravest human-rights campaigners who, earlier this summer, badgered officials in Spain, which then held the EU's rotating presidency.
The talks have been personally presided over by Carl Bildt, the Swedish foreign minister, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency and who served as the first high representative in Bosnia.
Since the Netherlands will be holding the EU's rotating presidency in the second half of the year, I asked Ben Bot, the Dutch foreign minister (and a former Dutch ambassador to Turkey) how worried he is about the lack of public support among Western voters?
In July it takes over the rotating presidency of the EU. And in October Donald Tusk is set to become the first prime minister in Poland's history to win re-election after a full term in office, bestriding a political landscape that is pleasingly normal (see article).
The Italian government, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, is proposing that the Europe's long-term investment agency, the European Investment Bank, increase its borrowing so that it can pump an additional euro11 billion a year into roads, railways and other infrastructure projects across the continent, with private investors putting up several times as much money.
The Czechs, who hold the EU's rotating six-month presidency, also hope to tempt him to Prague.
But Cyprus took up the EU's six-month rotating presidency in July 2012 and progress stalled, as Turkey refused to talk to the Cyprus authorities.
EU's system of a rotating presidency, which allows each country a six-month stint at setting the Union's agenda and chairing its main council's meetings.
ECONOMIST: Europe's awkward squad seems to be growing in number
The smaller states are also alarmed at proposals to cut their voting powers, and to scrap the rotating six-month stints at running the EU presidency that all countries, big and small, currently get.
But he or she is expected to chair EU summits, take on some of the functions of the current presidency of the Council of the European Union - held on a rotating six-month basis by EU heads of government - and represent the EU on common foreign and security policy.
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