Warsaw - Polish public opinion is split on the outcome of Monday's EU emergency summit on Russia, according to a poll published on Wednesday in the daily Rzeczpospolita.

Thirty-eight per cent thought the EU's reaction to the Russia- Georgia war, which threatened to suspend a cooperation agreement but did not lay down sanctions against Russia, was "sufficient" after the summit in Brussels on Monday, while 37 per cent said it was "too soft." Fifteen percent thought the EU had been "too tough" on Russia.

Poland had led several former Eastern Bloc countries in calling for a tough EU stance on Russia, wary of their eastern neighbour's growing assertiveness.

London - Britain favours the suspension of current negotiations on a partnership and cooperation agreement between Russia and the European Union (EU) over the Georgia crisis, a government spokesman said Monday.

"In light of Russia's actions we should suspend negotiations on a successor to the partnership and co-operation agreement," a spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in London.

He said possible suspension of the EU-Russia talks should be made dependant on the outcome of a complete overhaul of Russia-EU relations, agreed by EU leaders at a special summit in Brussels Monday.

Vienna - It was vital for the future of the European Union to agree on a strong position on Russia's actions in Georgia, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said Monday in Vienna, ahead of an EU emergency summit in Brussels this afternoon.

"Should the European Union not be able to find a clear, strong, common position," Schwarzenberg said, "we can write off the European Union as a political project for some time to come."

The foreign minister, who was in Vienna to meet his Austrian counterpart Ursula Plassnik, reiterated his position that EU sanctions against Russia would not be effective.

Brussels - The European Union will not approve sanctions against Russia but will instead discuss sending economic aid and a civilian mission to Georgia, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said ahead of an emergency meeting of the bloc's leaders Monday.

"I think sanctions are not on the agenda today," Solana said after holding talks in Brussels with visiting Georgian Prime Minister Vladimir Gurgenidze.

The EU is split on the issue of sanctions, with Poland and the Baltic states on one side insisting that the EU should punish Russia, and France, Germany and Italy saying instead that dialogue with Moscow is the best way forward.

Frankfurt - The European Central Bank (ECB) launched a programme Monday to assist Serbia's central bank, the National Bank of Serbia (NBS), in implementing policies and training staff with a view to enhancing cooperation between the NBS and the ECB.

The programme was "an important step towards strengthening economic and financial cooperation" between the NBS and the central banks of the European Union (EU), as well as between the EU and the Republic of Serbia, it said.

The programme, described as a "nine-month needs analysis," is to cover six areas, including banking supervision and the harmonization of Serbian legislation in line with EU practice.

Berlin - The Federation of German Industries (BDI) said Monday it was opposed to sanctions being imposed on Russia over the conflict in Georgia and called for dialogue rather than confrontation.

The BDI issued its call as European Union (EU) leaders prepared to hold an extraordinary summit in Brussels to discuss the bloc's response to the crisis in the Southern Caucasus.

Proposals to put Russia under pressure through sanctions or to halt World Trade Organization (WTO) accession talks or partnership with the European Union (EU) "lead in the wrong direction," BDI President Juergen Thumann said.

"We would all lose if this were to happen," Thumann said.