A European Union mission will tell leaders of five Muslim countries this week the war on terrorism involves the whole world and is not a war on Islam, an EU official said.
EU leaders decided at a Brussels summit last Friday to send the team to the region as an element of its response to the US attacks.
In talks with heads of state and foreign ministers of Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria, the EU team will discuss how these countries can cooperate with the EU in the fight against terrorism, EU officials said.
"We want to make it absolutely clear that the campaign against terrorism . . . is a campaign for the whole world. It is not a question of America and Europe against Islam," EU External Relations Commissioner Mr Chris Patten said.
"We want to involve as broad a coalition as possible and we think we have . . . particularly strong relationships with some countries which will enable us to mobilise that coalition," he said.
Mr Patten was joined on the trip by EU foreign policy chief Mr Javier Solana and the foreign ministers of Belgium and Spain, the current and next EU presidency holders.
EU officials also believe the trip provides an opportunity to turn a new page in relations with countries in the region, particularly Pakistan and Iran.
But they may face more difficult talks in later stops in Iran and Syria. Both countries are on an official US list of alleged state sponsors of terrorism.