EU foreign ministers meeting in Portugal this weekend will try to agree a common position on independence for Kosovo.
A UN plan for EU supervised independence for Kosovo has been rejected by Russia and Serbia, confronting EU states with the prospect of having to recognise an independent Kosovo without UN recognition or mandate.
Wolfgang Ischinger, the German EU mediator in the negotiations, has already warned that chances of a deal are slim.
A plan for Kosovo's independence was produced in March this year by Finnish negotiator Martti Ahtisaari.
A Russian threat to veto a UN Security Council resolution giving effect to the plan has stymied moves towards independence for the province, much to the annoyance of the mainly Albanian population.
Their government has said it intends to declare independence unilaterally in December.
That would force European states to decide whether to recognise it, and whether to push ahead with a large EU mission to stabilise the country.
There is division among EU states, with at least four countries opposed.
Unilateral independence would also cast legal doubt over the continued presence of Irish troops in the NATO led KFOR mission, which operates under a UN mandate.
An Irish General took command of one of the multinational brigades in Kosovo last month.
The Government Chief Whip, Tom Kitt, last night briefed Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern about his fact-finding visit to Kosovo earlier this week.
