GREECE aims to raise the profile of the Balkans during the next six months after it takes over the rotating European Union presidency today.

With lengthy negotiations on the future membership of eight former communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe over, Athens wants its EU partners to turn their attention to the troubled region on their doorstep.

George Papandreou, the Greek Foreign Minister, has confirmed already that intensifying the EU’s relations with the western Balkans will be one of his Government’s top priorities.

“We want to concentrate on the most important issues, such as tackling corruption and organised crime and promoting economic development and regional co-operation,” he said. “We see this as an integration process and want to make it as concrete as possible for both sides.”

The culmination of Greek efforts to focus attention on the region will come with an EU-western Balkans summit scheduled for mid-June. But other events are also moving the area towards centre stage.

Croatia has dropped heavy hints that it intends to lodge a formal application for EU membership. That is expected to be tabled in February.

Today the Union will assume a new responsibility in the Balkans when its takes over the training of police forces in Bosnia and Herzogovina from the United Nations. The 900-strong EU police mission will share its expertise with local officers in fighting organised crime, corruption, human-trafficking, terrorism and managing border controls.

This civilian exercise could be followed within a few months by the EU’s first peacekeeping mission in the Balkans as its fledgeling military arm replaces Nato-led forces in Macedonia.

While promoting the interests of the Balkans, Greece would like nothing better than to see the 28-year division of Cyprus ended during its presidency. It will bring as much diplomatic pressure to bear as possible to secure support from both parts of the island for a UN peace plan by the new deadline of February 28.

Greek Cypriot membership of the EU in 2004 is guaranteed, but EU governments have made clear that they would prefer to welcome into their ranks a united island, as foreseen in the UN scheme for a federal, bizonal Cyprus.

The effective target date for achieving a peaceful solution could be as late as early April. That would enable a united Cyprus to sign the EU accession treaty, together with the other nine future and 15 existing members, at the Acropolis on April 16.

Greece, which has thousands of illegal immigrants coming every year through its porous eastern and northern borders, will also be pressing for a united European response to a phenomenon that afflicts all EU countries with long external frontiers.

Although looking to clamp down on illegal immigrants, however, Athens will resist firmly any xenophobic calls from populist right-wing politicians for a total clampdown on immigration.

Mr Papandreou said: “We need to make this debate more central in our discussions with the wider public. We must see both sides of the coin. There is the problem of illegal migration. But there are also very positive aspects of regulated migration. We need a more balanced debate and more balanced policy.”

Greece, like any holder of the rotating presidency, is aware that its carefully laid plans can be blown off course by events outside its control. A “no” vote in any of the referendums being organised by the future EU members would deliver an embarrassing setback to the enlargement process.

But the real spectre on the horizon is a US-led war against Iraq — a prospect that Tassos Yannitsis, the country’s European Affairs Minister, has said could “overshadow our work as presidency”.

If it comes to hostilities, Greece’s Socialist Government will have to contain hardline anti-Americanism at home, ensure unity in the EU’s own ranks and keep an open line to Washington.