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Wednesday April 20, 11:59
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Rice in Russia to be more sharp than mild
(by Helen Snow)
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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, making her first visit to Moscow as the top U.S. diplomat, issued some critical remarks on the Kremlin’s activities in the field of democracy on the eve of her talks with Russia’s president.
Rice is reported to urge Putin on Wednesday to keep his word not to run for a third term and to ask him to provide more active support for Russia’s democracy.
Despite all the sharp criticism, some political analysts and rights activists complain Washington has not delivered a straight message to the Russian people on democracy, being affraid of losing Putin’s support for Bush’s top priority, the war on terrorism.
"When it comes to democracy, she has to establish not only in her private discussions but also publicly that this is a real issue," said Stephen Sestanovich, a Russian expert at the Washington-based thinktank, the Council on Foreign Relations.
Softening her expressions, Rice stated it was not her intention to isolate Russia over democracy issues but to support its efforts to join the World Trade Organization.
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