News Brief20:58 PM

(IsraelNN.com) The European Union decided to upgrade its relationship with Israel on Monday. The decision made by the EU-Israel Association Council -- the body headed by foreign ministers, which conducts the bilateral relations between Israel and EU member states, was announced at a meeting in Luxembourg, attended by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and EU foreign ministers.

According to an announcement released by the Council, accelerated negotiations between Israel and the EU are slated to begin, headed by the French Presidency, on basic agreements that were formulated as part of the uprade. "These are areas that have the potential for close cooperation between the Israeli and European public: the economy, science, trade, the environment, culture, academia and higher education, jurisprudence, and youth, among others," read the statement.

Israeli-EU relations will be upraded in three areas: increased diplomatic cooperation; Israel's participation in European plans and agencies; and examination of possible Israeli integration into the single European market.