European Union foreign ministers on Monday threatened to scale back ties with Uzbekistan unless the central Asian state allows an independent probe into recent bloodshed by the end of June. The ministers also urged Uzbekistan to allow the 25-nation bloc\'s human rights official to visit eastern regions of the former Soviet republic, where some 500 people are reported to have been killed when troops put down a revolt on May 13. President Islam Karimov has refused an independent international inquiry into the killings and Tashkent has refused an entry visa for the envoy. \"The Council (EU ministers) urges the Uzbek authorities to reconsider their position by the end of June 2005,\" the ministers said in a statement. They said EU services would follow closely the situation in Uzbekistan and \"they will keep under review the case for a partial suspension of cooperation mechanisms between the EU and Uzbekistan.\" The statement added that any EU measures would be meant to spare the Uzbek population, which could mean that the bloc was considering a freeze in diplomatic ties or travel ban for government officials rather than trade sanctions. Violence erupted last month in Uzbekistan\'s Ferghana Valley. Tashkent has said 173 people, mostly \"bandits\" or \"terrorists\" died. Witnesses say more than 500 people, mostly civilians were killed when troops moved to end the protest at what many people saw as an unfair trial of local businessmen. EU ministers created the post of the bloc\'s special envoy to central Asia on Monday, seeking to increase its influence in the region in wake of unrest in Uzbekistan. Russian-speaking Slovakian diplomat Jan Kubis is favorite for the job. (Reuters)