Brussels - Russia and the European Union on Friday held "positive" first talks on a strategic deal covering issues from energy to education, the diplomats leading the talks said.

"It is a challenging endeavour for both of us. ... I certainly judge that the first round of negotiations was completed in a friendly and positive atmosphere and was constructive," Russia's ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, said.

"Russia has to be a better partner - we need to strengthen our capacity to work all together because we are defending a lot of common interests. ... There is a global agreement on the scope and structure" of talks, EU negotiator Eneko Landaburu said.

Relations between the two sides are currently governed by a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) which came into force in 1997. Both sides now say that it is time to agree a new treaty which would take into account Russia's new strength and the EU's recent enlargements.

Chizhov said a new deal should be a "concise, legally-binding framework document" like a tree trunk from which other specific deals could spring. Landaburu said the most important question was to improve on the current PCA in what he called a "PCA plus."

"We agreed the scope of this agreement will cover political dialogue and external security issues, trade and economic cooperation including energy, freedom, security and justice issues, and research, education and culture," Landaburu said.

The two sides are to meet again in September to continue talks ahead of an EU-Russia summit scheduled to be held on November 14 in Nice, in the south of France.

While the opening atmosphere was cordial, Russia and the EU are still at odds over key issues including access to each other's energy networks, human and political rights, and the two sides' relationships with states caught between them, such as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. (dpa)