BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) – EU officials on Thursday urged Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to heal political rifts with her rivals to ward off further instability that would damage economic development in the former Soviet republic.

A power struggle between Tymoshenko and Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko are threatening to delay much needed economic and political reforms. The two were allies during the 2004 Orange Revolution against voter fraud, but they have repeatedly clashed over various policy matters, mainly concerning oil and gas.

"We still have some preoccupation on our side on the political situation," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told Tymoshenko after talks at EU headquarters. "We would like very much to see the political situation stabilize."

Tymoshenko told Solana she would work to heal political divisions.