Europe's foreign ministers will today clash again over Iraq as the diplomatic battle over a second UN resolution hots up.

Amid reports that the UK and US are set to push for a new resolution, Jack Straw will join his French counterpart, Dominique Villepin, at a Brussels meeting of EU foreign ministers.

Paris will this week ask the UN to set a timetable for Iraq's disarmament and will seek to boost numbers of UN inspectors.

Washington, along with London, is concerned that setting further hurdles for Baghdad will string out the process of destroying Saddam Hussein's weapons and could be the source of even more division among western nations.

The UK foreign secretary will use a working lunch on the Middle East to remind the French that last week's emergency EU summit on Iraq called on Baghdad to disarm "immediately".

And as transatlantic diplomacy intensifies, Straw will point Villepin towards the EU's warning that Iraq faced its "final opportunity" to disarm - words that Paris backed last Monday.

"We reiterate our full support for the ongoing work of the UN inspectors. However, inspections cannot continue indefinitely in the absence of full Iraqi cooperation," said the EU statement.

"Baghdad should have no illusions: it must disarm and cooperate immediately and fully. Iraq has a final opportunity to resolve the crisis peacefully.

"The Iraqi regime alone will be responsible for the consequences if it continues to flout the will of the international community and does not take this last chance."

But exploiting the ambiguity of the EU's position, France will highlight Britain's isolation from public opinion and many influential figures, such as the Pope, in continental European capitals.

Villepin will agree that disarmament is the objective but will insist that the drift to a second Gulf war is not inevitable and goes against the wishes of Europe's citizens.

"We want to achieve this peacefully. It is clear that this is what the people of Europe want," stated the summit's conclusions.

"War is not inevitable. Force should be used only as a last resort. It is for the Iraqi regime to end this crisis by complying with the demands of the security council."

Ministers will also discuss initiatives to reinvigorate the Middle East peace process.

London has put itself at the centre of moves to push the Palestinians towards reform.

The EU is calling on all terrorist activity to stop, but is also urging Israel to end settlements in Palestinian areas.

Recent indications by Yasser Arafat that he would appoint a prime minister and speed up Palestinian Authority reform will be welcomed by the EU ministers.

In the Balkans, Gulf divisions will be put to one side when the UK and France make a joint contribution to EU plans to take over NATO's peace-keeping role in Bosnia.