Integration of Balkan nations into the European Union, relations with Russia and the Middle East situation are also on the agenda for the two days of ministerial talks which begin Friday at Brdo pri Kranju, near the Slovenian capital Ljubljana.

Public pressure has been mounting on European leaders to discuss China’s crackdown on protests in Tibet which Karma Chophel, the head of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, said in Brussels Wednesday had left at least 135 people dead, 1,000 injured and 400 arrested.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Thursday he will consult other members of the European Union about boycotting the Beijing Olympics’ opening ceremony — stepping up international pressure over China’s crackdown in Tibet.

“At the time of the Olympics, I will be in the presidency of the European Union so I have to sound out and consult my fellow members to see whether or not we should boycott,” Sarkozy said at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

He said none of the 27 EU nations had so far called for a boycott of the Olympics over the Tibet unrest, but added: “According to how the situation is looking at the time, I reserve the right to say whether or not I will attend the opening ceremony.”

Brown said Britain, which will host the 2012 Olympics, would definitely not be boycotting any part of the Beijing Olympics.

The protests against China’s rule of Tibet began in Lhasa on March 10, the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising.

China says rioters subsequently killed 18 innocent civilians and two police officers in what it describes as the biggest challenge to its rule of Tibet in decades.

Several European leaders have already spoken of a possible Olympic boycott of some kind, with most attention focussed on staying away from the opening ceremony in the Chinese capital on August 8.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced Thursday that he will not attend the games’ opening.

“My opinion is clear, the presence of politicians at the inauguration of these games to me seems inopportune,” he said

Czech President Vaclav Klaus has said he will not attend the games at all.

The EU’s Slovenian presidency, conscious of the European public’s strong reaction to the Chinese crackdown, agreed to make Tibet a late addition to the foreign ministers’ agenda, with discussion on the matter likely over lunch Saturday.

“I guess much can be said about Tibet,” said Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the European Union’s rotating presidency until France assumes the helm from July 1.

Exiled Tibetan parliamentarian Chophel highlighted the other pressure on European leaders: to foster ties with China and its massive market place.

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