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EU could restart cooperation pact talks with Russia in Oct.

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The European Union could restart in October talks on a comprehensive cooperation treaty with Russia suspended over the country's conflict with Georgia, France's prime minister said on Saturday.
SOCHI, September 20 (RIA Novosti) - The European Union could restart in October talks on a comprehensive cooperation treaty with Russia suspended over the country's conflict with Georgia, France's prime minister said on Saturday.

The EU, which condemned Russia's attack on Georgia, suspended talks on the treaty to replace the previous one that expired in 2007, demanding Moscow withdraw all troops from the Caucasus state.

Speaking after a meeting with his Russian counterpart in the Black Sea resort Sochi, Francois Fillon said: "There are no reasons not to resume talks early next month."

But he added that talks will be resumed after the Georgia peace deal brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been carried out in full. France is currently holding the EU presidency.

Vladimir Putin said Russia looks forward to cooperation with European partners.

Russia agreed to withdraw its troops from Georgia's heartland once the EU has deployed its observer mission in the buffer zone, but differences persist on its military presence in two Georgian separatist regions.

Moscow earlier pledged to deploy a total of 7,600 troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, more than twice the size of its peacekeeping contingents before the armed conflict with Georgia. Russia recognized the regions' independence and signed formal cooperation treaties with them pledging military and economic aid.

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