At a meeting of EU defense ministers in the German city of Wiesbaden on Thursday, Solana said the 27-member European Union would continue to play a crucial role in stabilizing Kosovo and ensuring peace in the Balkans.

"Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo belong to our continent and their stability is fundamental to us," Solana told a news conference.

"We have an obligation to offer them a perspective to get closer to the European Union and eventually be members," he said.

Ministers agree to scale down troops in Bosnia

On Thursday, EU defense ministers brought forward a move to cut troop numbers in Bosnia to around 2,500 this year from 6,500 now, as security in the former hotspot improves.

"As a first step, we want to withdraw around 3,500 soldiers, then watch what happens before we move on," said German Defense Minister Franz-Josef Jung, who hosted the gathering.

Jung however declined to put a date on the departure.

"We need to look at how stability evolves in the region. We must not jeopardize what we have gradually build up over the years," he said.

In December, EU foreign ministers noted that security in Bosnia had evolved enough to permit them to "decide in principle on a transition" to lower troop numbers.

"The situation in Bosnia is way better. Security is going very well," said EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, but he added: "Politically there are still a lot of things to do."

He also urged Bosnia to continue with its police reforms.

Britain to pull out all troops

On Wednesday, the outgoing head of the EU Military Staff, Lieutenant General Jean-Paul Perruche, said the troop reduction would take "three or four months" but that the force would be able to do a quick about face if trouble arose.

Cutting the size of EUFOR in Bosnia will free up forces for use elsewhere as peacekeeping and security operations abound.

Britain Thursday announced the withdrawal of all its 600 troops from Bosnia amid opposition claims it was being forced to "scratch around" for extra manpower to send to Afghanistan.

The EU is likely to send 400 people to Kosovo to "help the Kosovars maintain order," said an EU diplomat, once the future status of the Serbian province becomes clear.

But the European Union requires a United Nations mandate to deploy and replace the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), and it is expected to take some time before a Security Council resolution can be drawn up.

"UNMIK remains fully in charge until UN Security Council Resolution 1244 is replaced by another (resolution), which should provide a clear mandate for the future international presence," Solana said.

Kosovo future remains uncertain

Serbian and Kosovo authorities are at loggerheads over how much autonomy the province should be granted, and Russia is threatening to use its Security Council veto to block any attempt to impose independence.

For the time being, the 27 EU countries "can only prepare as much as they can so that when the time comes they can be as

efficient, clear and precise as possible," the diplomat said.

"I hope and I wish that the two sides can show a willingness to reach a compromise," said Jung.

The 16,000-strong NATO force in Kosovo will continue to lead military operations there.

The ministers, along with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, also looked at ways to improve cooperation between the EU and the western alliance.