Russia and the European Union could start negotiations on a new partnership talk as soon as October, said Monday French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Sarkozy, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union and who brokered a peace deal between Russia and Georgia last month, was visiting Russia for talks with President Dmitry Medvedev.
The two signed an amendment to the August deal Monday calling for a full withdrawal of Russian forces from the territory of Georgia - with the exception of the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia - within a month.
If the conditions of the agreement are met, new partnership talks could start soon, Sarkozy said. "There is absolutely no reason why these negotiations that were postponed in September shouldn't start in October," he added.
The E.U. postponed the talks after Russia officially recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.