ATHENS, March 17 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The European Union (EU) called Monday, March 17, for a final push to avert war in Iraq, as the Greek presidency charged that Britain and Spain had undermined the Union by aligning themselves with the United States over the crisis.

With EU members deeply divided over the Iraqi crisis, the European Commission in Brussels called for "one last effort" to seek a peaceful solution but admitted the strong likelihood of war, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"This is a grave and difficult moment for the international community," said Commission spokesman Reijo Kemppinen.

"Even though war now seems more probable than ever, the Commission urges all countries concerned to make one last effort to find a peaceful solution," he added.

However, in Athens, which currently holds the EU presidency, Foreign Ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis accused London and Madrid of undermining European efforts to build a common policy over Iraq.

"I would say that the presidency has exhausted all the possibilities and margins in the framework of institutional processes within the EU. We have shaped a common position twice," he said.

"But you see that some EU countries align themselves outside the EU framework with the United States", Beglitis said in a clear reference to Britain and Spain.

"One shouldn't have the illusion that that the EU can in an orderly way arrive at a common position now," he said in a radio interview.

Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou earlier Monday urged the international community to use the coming days and hours to find a peaceful solution to the crisis, ahead of a decisive UN Security Council meeting in New York.

"I believe we must try in the days and even hours... to find a peaceful solution to the current crisis," Papandreou said after a meeting in Athens with former Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.

But Greek Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said an attack against Baghdad was the most likely outcome to the crisis, as Athens announced it was set to close its embassy in Iraq.

"We have to hope for a (diplomatic) result, but obviously we have to be realists and be prepared for a negative development, which is also the most likely assumption," Papantoniou said.

"I don’t think we can be optimistic but we have to fight (for a peaceful solution) to the last moment," he added.

The Commission spokesman meanwhile stressed that the European Union's executive had "consistently argued that if war were to be issued it should be up to the United Nations to authorize a decision to attack".

"We must all work together to reduce potential long-term damage to the United Nations," as well as to the EU's efforts to build a common foreign policy, he said.