Brussels - European Union foreign ministers Monday called for fresh sanctions against Myanmar and urged regional players such as China to put pressure on the country's regime to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The meeting in Brussels came as Burma's pro-democracy icon went on trial in Yangon for allegedly breaking the terms of her house arrest.

"We are ready to discuss the reinforcement of sanctions," said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout, whose country holds the EU rotating presidency, ahead of the meeting.

But first there "will be a call on the Burmese authorities to release Aung San Suu Kyi," Kohout said.

EU foreign ministers already agreed in late April to extend through April 2010 a package of sanctions against some 500 regime figures and their relatives, as well as against some 80 businesses linked to the regime.

Those sanctions could now be deepened if the Myanmar authorities refuse to bow to international pressure.

"This is not the moment to lower the sanctions, this is the moment to increase them," said EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

However, several foreign ministers acknowledged the EU's limited powers to influence events in Myanmar by calling on the region's key players to do more.

"We have to engage with the other countries in the region," said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country will assume the EU presidency on July 1.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi, 63, was expected to plead not guilty to charges of breaking the terms of her house detention by allowing a US national to swim to her secluded home earlier this month.

The junta's critics have accused it of using the episode as a pretext to keep Suu Kyi in jail during a politically sensitive period leading up to a general election planned for next year.

Last week, EU member states called her detention a "clear breach of international norms" and expressed "deep regret" over the decision by a Yangon court to formally charge her.

Developments in Myanmar were expected to dominate the twice-yearly meeting of EU foreign, defence and development ministers.

While in Brussels, ministers were also expected to discuss other pressing issues, ranging from piracy in Somalia to the conflict in Pakistan.