BRUSSELS, Nov 4: The European Union's Dutch presidency on Thursday rejected an attack by Iraq's interim leader on "spectator" countries such as France and Germany that have refused to get involved in his country.

The swipe by Iyad Allawi threatened to cloud talks at an EU summit here between the interim prime minister and European leaders. French President Jacques Chirac has already pulled out of an EU lunch with Mr Allawi scheduled for Friday.

"That has angered some in Paris, and I think that the language used was not the most felicitous one, and we will certainly say something about it tonight," Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot said shortly before the summit opened.

"But what matters is that we strike a positive note and that we discuss with Mr Allawi the future and not look back too much," he said.

"That's the message we will give him and that is the message which we have given ourselves," Bot said, pointing to a package of support that the EU plans to offer to Allawi ahead of elections planned for January.

Allawi, speaking earlier in Rome after talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, lambasted countries perceived as mere observers as his government seeks to buttress security ahead of the elections.

"I want to take this opportunity to call on the countries which are content to have a spectator role, to help us to build a better Iraq," he told reporters in the Rome stopover, before heading on to Brussels.

Bot said that the EU was in fact gearing up to come to Iraq's aid, having agreed this week to release 30 million euros for the election process and to discuss the prospect of EU training for Iraqi police and judges.

On Tuesday EU foreign ministers also agreed to "contribute substantially" to the financing of a protection force for United Nations personnel in Iraq, and to explore a trade and political agreement with the country.

"The first step is helping with the election process. That is what the Iraqis want themselves, because what they think is important is that we give a clear political signal that we are interested in their country," Bot said.

"In other words, don't leave it to the Americans alone," he said, adding that the EU had now overcome its rifts over Iraq. "We were split but for the moment we have a united position, a united approach."-AFP