By Shasta Darlington

ROME, Nov 11 (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Tuesday Brussels, not Rome, sets the bloc's agenda and denied Israel could be getting a mixed message because of dissonant noises from current EU president Italy.

Italy's recent contrasting foreign policy comments have highlighted the sometimes difficult relationship between Brussels and the rotating EU presidency, which will be held by Italy until January.

"The official message is the message given by me, by the European Union," Solana said during an interview with two news agencies in Rome.

"No third country has any doubt about the European Union position... since most of the positions are written beforehand."

Last week, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Gianfranco Fini called Israel's construction of a wall through occupied territories in the West Bank an act of self-defence even though the EU has consistently opposed it, raising questions about who influences policy.

"Our position is clear," Solana said on Tuesday. "We do not think this (the wall) is the appropriate thing to do ... considering that this is dividing cities and people."

The comments come at a sensitive time ahead of an EU-Israel Cooperation Council meeting. EU envoy Marc Otte has been snubbed by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon over his contacts with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

"I think we will find a mechanism to overcome that difficulty, because when you have someone whose main task is to go back and forth between two sides and he is not received by one of the sides, it's rather bizarre," Solana said.

He said the rotating EU presidency had left some room for misunderstandings. Last week Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi staunchly defended Russian actions in Chechnya and the handling of legal action against oil giant YUKOS that prompted an EU rebuke.

"I think that was an exceptional situation...," Solana said, adding that Berlusconi needed to bear in mind that he could not take off the hat of the rotating presidency entirely even when speaking on bilateral matters.

He said such conflicts would likely be eliminated when the EU accepts 10 new members next year as changes to the presidency were also being discussed.