Iraq and the EU say they're close to a deal on gas and oil supplies - je 16.04.2008 18

The European Union says it's close to clinching an energy pact with Iraq . European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Brussels today and said afterward that he hopes an agreement will be signed within weeks. The EU has been providing significant aid to Iraq and also trains judges and security officials; its talks with Maliki are intended to further deepen such ties.