Ukraine's talks with EU over partnership deal still under way

Negotiations with the European Union (EU) over a landmark partnership deal are still under way, said an official on Monday. "Although the parties have not yet signed the deal, the talks over it are going on," Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Olefirov told reporters. On Sunday, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fuele said that the 28-member bloc was halting negotiations with Kiev over the political-economic agreements. Ukraine, which was expected to sign an association agreement with the EU at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius on Nov. 28-29, put the deal on hold for closer trade ties with Russia instead. The announcement triggered waves of protests in major Ukrainian cities.