Russia, EU to start talks on new cooperation deal in Brussels

BRUSSELS, July 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and the European Union will begin the first round of talks on a new wide-ranging cooperation agreement in Brussels on Friday. The new pact is set to replace the current 1997 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement which expired in December 2007 and was extended by a year. The talks were delayed over disputes between Russia and EU members Poland and Lithuania. The Russian delegation at the negotiations will be led by Russia's EU envoy, Vladimir Chizhov. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said at a news conference after an EU-Russia summit in Siberia last week, which gave the go-ahead to the talks, that the new agreement should become the basis of a long-term strategic partnership. Russia and the EU earlier said they hoped a new deal would be reached by the end... [read full story]