Hluboka Castle, Czech Republic - The European Union's foreign ministers Friday voiced their support for the Czech Republic, despite the country's government resigning midway through its tenure as the bloc's president.

"We must strongly help the Czech presidency," said Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini during informal talks in the southern Czech Republic. "It would be a disaster if Europe was left without an authoritative and agreed line."

Prague - Mirek Topolanek, the Czech Republic's humbled premier, has conceded that his ill-timed remark suggesting the United States' measures to battle the global economic crisis would lead to "a road to hell" were inspired by heavy metal band AC/DC.

Czech media reported on Friday that Topolanek had told a television show that "AC/DC played in Prague last week. And their cult song 'Highway to Hell' may have prompted me to use 'road to hell'."

Hluboka Castle, Czech Republic  - EU foreign ministers were set to meet Friday in a 13th century castle in the Czech Republic to discuss ways of helping the United States defeat the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.

The EU talks were to take place amid reports that US President Barack Obama was planning to send thousands of additional army trainers to the country in a bid to loosen its dependance on Western help.

Prague  - Czech President Vaclav Klaus said Thursday he preferred to find a quick but lasting solution to the political crisis, rather than keep outgoing Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek in a caretaker role until the end of Prague's stint as president of the European Union.

"I will not allow a lack of a solution ... such as maintaining the current, provisional state ... until the end of our presidency," Klaus said after accepting Topolanek's cabinet resignations earlier in the day.

Prague  - Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek is to submit his government's resignation to President Vaclav Klaus on Thursday, two days after his cabinet failed a parliamentary confidence test half way through its presidency of the European Union.

Topolanek is to govern in a caretaker role until a new government is sworn in. President Vaclav Klaus is now the kingmaker of Czech politics as he is to pick the next premier. He has no deadline to do so.