Brussels, Oct 16, SPA -- The European Union will starttalks with Moldova soon on a new cooperation agreement that willbring the ex-Soviet state closer political and economic tieswith the bloc, Reuters quoted the EU as saying today. A statement from the Swedish EU presidency and the executiveEuropean Commission said the planned deal would go beyond aPartnership and Cooperation Agreement in place since 1998. "A mandate has already been given to the European Commissionand negotiations will be launched shortly," the statement said,after an EU delegation headed by Swedish Foreign Minister CarlBildt visited Europe's poorest nation. Western-leaning parties formed a government last month afterbeating the incumbent communists in an election. But aprotracted deadlock over the presidency is yet to be solved inthe country squashed between EU-member Romania and Ukraine. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/709669