European Union leaders moved to mend their rift over the Iraq war at a two-day summit formally dedicated to the bloc's historic eastward enlargement. Underscoring the EU's newfound sense of pragmatism on Iraq, diplomats said up to seven European countries might lend troops to a peacekeeping force proposed by the United States for the war-torn Arab country following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

The Iraq crisis has badly dented the EU's ambitions to play a bigger global role. Britain, Italy, Spain, Denmark and many of the ex-communist newcomers backed the U.S.-led war to oust Saddam, while France, Germany and others strongly opposed it.

But the mood at the Athens summit, which was dominated by Wednesday's signing of the EU accession treaty admitting 10 new members, was conciliatory and forward-looking.

French President Jacques Chirac said the EU would launch an airlift in the next few days to fly out wounded Iraqis -- especially children -- for urgent hospital treatment in Europe.

The EU leaders held talks with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on rebuilding Iraq which were due to continue on Thursday. Chirac said the EU would issue a statement on Iraq on Thursday, which diplomats said would call for a central role for the United Nations in postwar Iraq and would declare Europe's willingness to help reconstruction work.

PHOTO CAPTION

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (R) talks to French President Jacques Chirac before a bilateral meeting in a suburb of Athens April 16, 2003. European leaders built verbal bridges among themselves and with the United States to try to span bitter divisions set off by the Iraq war. (Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters)