European Union foreign ministers moved Monday towards reopening frozen talks with Russia, seeking to overcome resistance from Lithuania and Poland by promising not to go soft on Moscow.

Four days ahead of an EU-Russia summit in Nice, southern France, the European foreign ministers were hoping to reach a unified position on relaunching the wide-ranging partnership talks which were suspended after Russia's military action in Georgia in August.

Britain and Sweden, formerly reticent to reopen the talks, issued a joint statement in support of the negotiations, while promising to maintain a tough line with Moscow.

"We believe that the EU should be clear about the basis on which it is resuming the negotiations," British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and his Swedish counter-

part Carl Bildt said in the statement.

We are not returning to business as usual, nor are we turning the page on the conflict in Georgia.

"The EU will stick to the tough mandate that has been agreed for the negotiations," added the statement released at the start of talks in Brussels.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he hoped the key talks with Moscow could soon resume, but echoed that it would not be "business as usual".

"I think there is a possibility," that the talks could resume soon, said Solana, adding: "I hope very much that will be the case.”

Most EU nations would like to see the wide-ranging partnership talks, suspended after Russia's military campaign in Georgia in August, to be reopened before the end of the year, with hopes that an announcement can be made in Nice on Friday.