COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Germany will seek the extradition of a key al-Qaida suspect from Pakistan - a move that could cause conflict with the United States, a top German official said Saturday.

As top German and U.S. justice officials discussed ways to streamline anti-terrorist activities, German Interior Minister Otto Schily said he will seek the extradition of Ramzi Binalshibh, who was caught in Pakistan earlier this week along with a group of al-Qaida suspects.

Schily said he would like to see Binalshibh tried in Germany, where he was believed to be part of the cell of hijackers that plotted the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.

It was not immediately clear how Germany's extradition request would affect U.S. plans for Binalshibh.

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft also was in the Danish capital for the meeting of 15 European Union justice ministers. It was the first time an American attorney general has met with his EU counterparts.

Ashcroft declined to comment when asked about the arrest and whether the United States wants to extradite Binalshibh as well. In a speech, he did not address the developments and instead cited increased cooperation with EU countries on terrorism.

"We're discussing the possibility of an unprecedented agreement on extradition and mutual legal assistance between the EU and the United States," Ashcroft said.

Trying to highlight the spirit of cooperation between the United States and the EU, Schily said the request for extradition would come second to joint efforts to combat international terrorism.

"If there are competing claims then we are going to sort them out," Schily said.

Binalshibh is known to have had close contact with Sept. 11 hijackers Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi and Zaid Jarrah, and lived with Atta in an apartment in Hamburg, where the Sept. 11 cell is believed to have plotted. German Federal Prosecutor Kay Nehm has said Binalshibh was to have piloted a fourth plane on Sept. 11, but was unable to get a visa to the United States.

Should the United States seek to gain custody of Binalshibh - which seems likely - an extradition to Germany beforehand could raise serious legal snarls. Germany, like other EU partners, customarily has refused to send prisoners in its custody to countries where they could face the death penalty.

Two weeks ago, Germany told Washington it will not share evidence on Sept. 11 suspect Zacarias Moussaoui unless it is assured that it will not be used to secure a death penalty.

Despite the potential problems, German Justice Minister Herta Daebler-Gmelin fully backed the extradition request.