Moscow - Russia's MICEX exchange gained ground on opening Monday after regulators order full-day closures Friday as stocks were pummeled on global markets.

Higher oil prices was a salve to Russia's energy dependent markets, while state banks Sberbank and VTB Group led share increases.

The leading MICEX index rose 2.81 per cent by 1:00 pm (0900 GMT) to 720.03, but Moscow's benchmark RTS exchange was down a modest 1.41 per cent to 832.80.

The leaders on the MICEX were power generator OGK-3 and oil and gas majors Gazprom and Surutneftgaz.

Trading on Moscow's bourse was uncertain last week as market regulators stopped and started the clock over a dozen times.

Luxembourg - European Union foreign ministers were Monday due to discuss re-starting cooperation talks with Russia amid disagreement over whether Moscow had fully complied with a peace deal in Georgia.

Ministers arriving at their meeting in Luxembourg indicated that reaching consensus on the strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) talks would be difficult.

"We have to take it fairly slowly," said Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb. "I do not expect a decision (on the PCA) to be taken today."

Stubb chairs the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which has a military monitoring operation in Georgia.

Moscow - A new crew for a lengthy stay on board the International Space Station (ISS) was launched Sunday morning from the Baikonur space centre.

Moscow - At least one person was killed in an earthquake in Russia's North Caucasus region on Saturday, a report said.

A man was killed when a wall collapsed in Chechnya, the Interfax news agency reported, quoting officials.

Authorities said the quake had a magnitude of 5.3. Buildings in the Chechen capital Grozny and other cities were damaged.

Tbilisi/Moscow - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Friday again called on Russia to withdraw from Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Georgia will never accept Russian occupation of either region nor Moscow's recognition of their independence, Saakashvili was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

The Georgian leader made the statements at a meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in the Georgia city of Batumi on the Black Sea.

Brussels - The European Union was deadlocked on Friday over whether or not to re-start talks with Russia over a strategic partnership that it froze on September 1, despite Russia's troop withdrawal from Georgia, diplomats admitted.

EU foreign ministers are set to meet on Monday in Luxembourg for the first formal debate on relations with Russia since the EU's leaders on September 1 vowed to freeze talks on the strategic deal.