(BRUSSELS) - European Union and NATO countries will hold talks Friday to try to overcome a major hurdle to their cooperation in Kosovo posed by the dispute between Turkey and Cyprus, European diplomats said.

The meeting in Brussels was organised following recent "openness" to talks displayed by Turkey, one diplomat confirmed Wednesday, on condition of anonymity.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia five months ago and the EU has begun setting up a vast police and justice mission there, while NATO leads a force of some 17,000 troops tasked with providing security.

Cooperation between them is essential but Turkey, which is a member of NATO and is struggling to join the EU, is blocking military cooperation.

EU member Cyprus meanwhile, which is not in NATO, is holding up cooperation on police matters.

The issue of Cyprus -- divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north following an Athens-engineered coup to unite the island with Greece -- has bedevilled Greek-Turkish relations for decades.

Only Ankara recognises the northern Cyprus statelet, a fact which is hampering Turkey's bid for EU membership.

The Turkey-Cyprus issue has also dogged NATO-EU cooperation in Afghanistan.

"There is a need for international consultation on Kosovo," another diplomat said ahead of the talks, which have been organised by Belgium and will involve representatives from around 30 countries.

NATO Secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana will take part in the talks, as will representatives from the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

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