Prague  - French President Nicolas Sarkozy refused Monday to give up on the European Union's Lisbon Treaty, saying the bloc needs the reform blueprint so countries in the Western Balkans can join.

With France set to take over the six-month EU presidency on July 1, Sarkozy confronts a crisis after Irish voters rejected the treaty in a referendum Thursday.

"Nobody should feel under pressure," he told reporters after talks in Prague with Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country has not ratified the treaty.

"We will not deepen a rift between the countries that ratified and those that still should do so," Sarkozy said, calling for a "cool- headed" approach.

Sarkozy has pushed for EU-wide approval of the Lisbon Treaty, which is designed to ease decision-making in the 27-nation bloc and give the EU a more united voice on the world stage.

The eurosceptic Czech government, which supports the EU's further eastward expansion, also needs a reformed EU, Sarkozy said.

"In order for us to open to the Balkans, to Croatia, we need the Lisbon Treaty," he said. (dpa)