European Union foreign ministers on Monday decided not to impose further sanctions on Zimbabwe pending a closer study of the political deal between the country's rival factions.

The council of EU member states "welcomes the conclusion of a political agreement" between President Robert Mugabe and pro-democracy challenger Morgan Tsvangirai, and "will study the details of the agreement," a statement released in Brussels said.

The council will "pay close attention to its implementation, which will imply the immediate end to all forms of intimidation and violence" and will have to "allow to bring the reforms the people of Zimbabwe expect," including democratization, the statement said.

The council "will examine the development of the situation at its next meeting" on October 13, it said.

On Thursday EU officials meeting in Brussels agreed that the bloc should extend its current range of sanctions against Mugabe's regime following the summer's wave of violence against Tsangvirai's supporters. Ministers had been set to endorse that move on Monday.

But the news that a deal had been reached late on Thursday night led EU officials to put that decision on ice until the details of the agreement were announced.

"All discussion on sanctions, more or less, is on hold until we see the details of the deal and until we see the deal translated into action on the ground," British foreign minister David Miliband said.