WASHINGTON, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - The United States described as 'positive' the withdrawal of Russian forces from buffer zones around the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

'You can see that Russia is, in fact, starting to comply with the September 8th agreement with the EU,' State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters, pointing to a map of the region.

The withdrawal came well ahead of the Friday deadline required by a September 8 peace plan brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, current holder of the European Union presidency.

'So we'll have an assessment for you next week, once the Russians say that they have completed their activities,' McCormack said.

'And we'll consult with the European Union for their assessment of whether or not Russia has fully complied with the September 8th agreement. And we'll perhaps be able to provide you an update then,' he said.

Asked if the withdrawal so far was a good sign, McCormack replied: 'It is a positive sign.'

The Russian withdrawal came two months after a war over South Ossetia poisoned relations between Moscow and the West.

At talks in Paris with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Sarkozy said the withdrawal paved the way for talks to resume on an 'ambitious' EU-Russia partnership agreement.

It had been put on ice last month in protest at Russia's actions in Georgia.