Brdo Pri Kranju( Slovenia): EU foreign ministers were today split on the idea of boycotting the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony over Tibet but keen for China to open talks with the Dalai Lama.

At the start of two days of talks in Slovenia, none of the ministers suggested a full-scale boycott of the summer Olympics despite public pressure for some kind of response to China's crackdown on Tibetan protesters.

"We are concerned over the situation of human rights in China and Tibet. We hope dialogue will start between the Chinese authorities and the Tibetan representatives," said Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel.

"We believe that it is necessary to encourage dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities," Rupel added, while admitting "we do not have a common position" on the question of an Olympic ceremony boycott.

Several eastern European leaders including Czech President Vaclav Klaus, his Estonian counterpart Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have said they will not attend the games opening.

Tusk yesterday declared that "the presence of politicians at the inauguration of the Olympics seems inappropriate."

However at the EU ministerial talks Portugal, Spain and Sweden backed Britain s choice not to stage a boycott.

"I have never thought that boycotts were a particularly effective instrument of foreign affairs," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said he will personally attend the opening ceremony.

Source : PTI