Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she is very worried with the media and human rights situation in Russia before her first on this post visit to Russia.

"The centralization of state power in the presidency at the expense of countervailing institutions like the Duma or an independent judiciary is clearly very worrying. The absence of an independent media on the electronic side is clearly very worrying," she said before the two-day visit.

Rice also added that the world and Russia would benefir from any democratic move of Vladimir Putin who is now seeking the ways to change the Constitution in favor of his third term as a president.

Ms. Rice is expected to meet with President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials for the country, including Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

She also said that the moves towards democracy in Russia would improve the US-Russia relations, as well as bolster foreign investments.

The US President George W. Bush is expected to visit Russia before the 60th anniversary of the Soviet army’s World War II victory on May 9.