(AVIGNON) - EU foreign ministers stepped up calls on Saturday for an independent inquiry into the outbreak of the Russia-Georgia conflict as they met for talks on the crisis in southern France.

"I am absolutely in favour," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose country holds the European Union presidency, told reporters on the second day of the meeting in Avignon.

"We need to know what happened. The most fantastic -- as well as real -- numbers were circulating -- 1,000, 2,000 dead, who started things, what kind of provocations there were, at what point and for how long, what was prepared on either side," Kouchner said.

Luxembourg's Jean Asselborn said the ministers "would like to see an analysis by an international body to define the responsibility for the outbreak of the conflict."

"There is unanimity on this question," he told reporters at the huge gothic Palace of the Popes, where the meetings were held.

In an interview Friday with a German newspaper, their German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the international community "does not lack the institutions" to carry out an independent inquiry, naming the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

"There is a group of countries calling for it," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana added.

However British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was more interested in probing rights abuses than looking at the origins of the conflict, which broke out early last month and had been building for some time.

It was "absolutely essential that any allegation in respect of human rights abuse or cluster bombs, or any of the other allegations, are fully and independently investigated," he said

"Very serious allegations" had been made by both sides in the conflict, he recalled.

Miliband added that Russia had failed to win backing for its recognition of Georgia's breakaway regions and warned that Moscow was isolating itself on the world stage.

"You only have to look at the failure of all but less than half a dozen countries to join Russia in recognising Abkhazia and (South) Ossetia to see that Russia has isolated itself," he said.

Russia's foreign ministry on Saturday said it hoped other countries would follow Nicaragua in recognising the independence of the Georgian separatist provinces.

The EU foreign ministers were meeting in Avignon to reinforce their common position on the Georgia conflict, ahead of a key visit to Moscow by French President Nicolas Sarkozy Monday.

Russian troops poured into Georgia last month to repel an attack by the Georgian army aimed at retaking South Ossetia. They have remained deep inside Georgian territory in what Moscow calls "security zones."

The EU has frozen partnership talks with Moscow until it withdraws its troops in line with an EU-backed peace plan.

Sarkozy will demand that the plan, which obliges Russian troops to withdraw to the positions they held before the fighting started on August 7, be honoured.

Russia says it is within its rights to maintain a "buffer zone" between the rebel areas and the rest of Georgia.

The ministers also supported plans for a European observer mission in Georgia, while admitting that it would require Russian cooperation to operate in the key disputed areas.

"The ideal situation would be to have a United Nations mandate," but that could not be assured with Russia as a permanent member of the Security Council, said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.

However if that is not the case then "the EU needs to be present anyway," he added.

Bildt said a decision would be taken at the next foreign ministers' meeting on September 15.

Foreign Ministers' Meeting - Gymnich

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