A German foreign ministry spokesman confirmed that European Union (EU) Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton may call foreign ministers to Brussels later today for talks on how to respond to the crisis in Iraq.

"We have confronted an existential threat to tens of thousands of people, who are fighting for their lives at the moment. It is an existential threat to ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq, for the state and for the whole region," the German official said, Alforat news agency reported.

"Ashton has suggested Friday for such a meeting... The German government thinks it is very important that there is a European response. It is particularly important to have a coherent European response in terms of equipment and humanitarian aid," he added.

EA