(NICOSIA) - Cyprus said on Monday it would not budge on its opposition to unilateral Kosovo independence even as the European Union sought a unified stance on possible recognition.

Nicosia will not recognise any form of unilateral independence, even if "almost the entire European Union agreed towards that direction and reacted against our position", government spokesman Vasilis Palmas said.

"How can we consent to the independence of a state in a unilateral way? This would only cause us problems," Palmas told reporters.

Cyprus's view on Kosovo is influenced by political issues closer to home where the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus was unilaterally declared in 1983, following a 1974 Turkish invasion.

The island has remained divided between a Turkish Cypriot north and government-controlled Greek Cypriot south, ever since Turkish troops seized the north in response to an Athens-engineered coup to unite the island with Greece.

The TRNC is recognised only by Ankara.

At a meeting in Brussels, major European powers tried to drum up wide EU support for recognising any independence declaration by the province, and secure a commitment to deploy a civilian mission to ease the transition.

Monday marked the UN-set deadline for reaching a negotiated settlement on the Kosovo issue -- after which the province's ethnic Albanian leaders have said they will declare independence unilaterally.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, a key mediator in the Balkans in the 1990s, spoke of the likelihood of reaching "virtual unity," as he arrived for the talks in Brussels.

Bildt said "there is one country who cannot accept" a solution for Kosovo's status without a UN resolution -- a clear reference to Cyprus, which has argued strenuously for the necessity of UN backing.

Apart from Cyprus, at least three other EU nations -- Greece, Slovakia and Spain -- are reluctant to recognise a unilateral declaration of independence, in part because of the precedent it might set for separatists nearer to home.

Serbia, backed by its ally Russia, considers the southern province of Kosovo to be an integral part of its territory and history, and it is only willing to grant wide autonomy.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday warned that countries planning to recognise the independence of Kosovo should "think very carefully about the consequences".

"In that case those countries would be violating international law and we will not support the violation of international law," Lavrov told journalists during a two-day visit to Cyprus.

Text and Picture Copyright 2007 AFP. All other Copyright 2007 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.