EU debates reviving Russian talks

By Oana Lungescu
BBC News European affairs correspondent

Bernard Kouchner admitted there was some doubt over Russian compliance

European Union foreign ministers are set to decide whether to end the freeze on partnership talks with Russia, which were halted over the Georgian conflict.

France's Bernard Kouchner will give counterparts in Luxembourg his views on Russia's withdrawal from Georgia, after his visit there last week.

The EU last week welcomed Russia's pull-out from buffer zones next to breakaway South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

But Mr Kouchner says "problems remain" over Russia's compliance with a truce.

There is still not agreement on whether Moscow has fully complied with the terms of an EU-mediated ceasefire.

Georgia says Russian troops are still in areas they did not occupy before hostilities broke out.

France, which holds the EU presidency, wants to unfreeze talks on a new partnership deal with Russia soon.

But Britain, Sweden and former Soviet satellites like Poland say Europe should not rush into such a politically sensitive move.