By Paul Taylor, European Affairs Editor BRUSSELS, March 27 (Reuters) - The European Union will try to overcome sharp differences over dealing with rising powers Russia and China at a foreign ministers' retreat in Slovenia starting on Friday. Ministers will also seek to give tangible incentives to Western Balkans countries to pursue European integration and turn their backs on nationalism, despite heightened tension over Kosovo's secession from Serbia. The suppression of pro-independence protests in Tibet has forced the issue of China on to the agenda, highlighting unease in the 27-nation bloc over how to balance lucrative trade and investment ties with human rights concerns. "Several ministers wanted to have a discussion on Tibet," a Slovenian EU presidency spokeswoman said. The issue was added to the agenda this week. Some senior EU politicians, including European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering, have mooted a boycott of the Olympic Games opening ceremony, but others vowed to attend. French Foreign Minister President Nicolas Sarkozy refused this week to rule out shunning the opening gala. The European Parliament, a megaphone for public opinion which has no direct say over EU foreign policy, gave moral support to the Dalai Lama on Wednesday, inviting the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader to plead his cause from its rostrum. Several deputies criticised absent EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana for rushing to say after the first violence in Tibet that he would nonetheless go to the Beijing games. The official EU line so far has been to call for restraint and urge China to open a dialogue on cultural rights with the Dalai Lama, whom Beijing has accused of inciting the riots. But diplomats said ministers are likely to respond to public pressure to step up criticism of Beijing in an expected joint statement on Saturday. SEPARATE MEETINGS The Europeans are also divided over how to deal with a resurgent Russia, Friday's main theme, with business and energy interests again vying with concerns over human rights and Moscow's treatment of its ex-Soviet neighbours. Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel wants the ministers to agree on a common approach for the EU's first summit with President-elect Dmitry Medvedev in Siberia in June, the spokeswoman said. He also hopes to get negotiations launched by then on a new, broad EU-Russia strategic partnership agreement spanning trade, energy, human rights and political cooperation. Poland and Lithuania vetoed the start of talks in 2006 after Moscow banned imports of Polish meat and cut off oil supplies to a Lithuanian refinery that was sold to a Polish company rather than a Russian rival. The new Polish government has agreed to lift its objection after the embargo was ended, but Vilnius is holding out and has added the case of a missing businessman and "frozen conflicts" in Georgia and Moldova to the oil issue, diplomats say. The EU's difficulties in embracing the Western Balkans may be underlined on Saturday when the presidency has scheduled separate meetings with the Serbian foreign minister and representatives of other partners, including Kosovo. The ministers will have breakfast with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, but it is not clear whether he will also attend a session on closer ties with the region along with Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom, editing by Mark Trevelyan)
A farmer pumps water from a well to water a field on the outskirts of Xiangfan, Hubei province March 27, 2008. China is suffering its worst drought in nearly five years, ...
