Condoleezza Rice wants Russia to acknowledge USA's interests on post-Sovie

[lovuian]

http://english.pravda.ru/world/americas/04-05-2006/79870-rice-0

Condoleezza Rice wants Russia to acknowledge USA's interests on post-Soviet space

Russia needs to accept that the USA has legitimate interests in the post-Soviet sphere, said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, speaking in Washington before newspaper editors.



“Russians must accept that we have our own relations with their neighbours, even if these countries were once part of the Soviet Union,” she stressed. “I know this is sometimes difficult to do. Sometimes suspicions arise over our relations, for example with Ukraine
snip...

Rice admitted that events happening inside Russia today give rise to somewhat greater concern for the USA than its foreign policy, ITAR-TASS reports. “The press in Russia is not very free, especially the electronic media,” she continued. “The judicial system does not give the impression of being very independent, at least judging by the most high profile cases.” However, in her opinion, “the biggest problem is probably the concentration of power in the Kremlin”.

snip...
Commenting on the widespread opinion in the West that democracy in Russia is “recoiling”, Rice repeated her well-known theory that today’s Russia is far from being the Soviet Union which she once studied. Rice also spoke out against refusing to interact with Russia in the “Big Eight” or the Russia-NATO Council. In her opinion, this will bring no positive results for democratization in Russia

*********************************************************************************************
I think Cheney just got Bitch slapped by Rice!!!
:rofl:

[madrchsod]

1. what about us condo?

the russians look upon the whitehouse as an illegitimate government and are biding their time to we elect someone they can trust. i guess the romance is over between pootie-poo and georgie boy

[Erika]

3. Yeah, Cold war again

W is such a uniter.

[Erika]

2. The press in the USA is not free

except for Faux News. The others are MSM Pravda's
Sarcasm off.

[Canuckistanian]

4. Unbelievable!

Condi is lecturing the Russians on the evils of "concentration of power"????

[MadMaddie]

5. Ah....here is a gem...

<snip>
Rice repeated her well-known theory that today’s Russia is far from being the Soviet Union which she once studied.
<snip>

A Russian gentleman I used to work with said that the Russians hate Condi....she had her preconceived notions of why Russian history played out the way it did....no real experience...she was a professor right?

Does she really think the Russians respect a black women trying to tell them about their reality?

It does seem that Cheney, Rummy and Condi are all on different teams these days doesn't it?

[CHIMO]

6. Cheney Says Liberty at Risk in Russia

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney lashed out at Russia on Thursday, telling a Vilnius audience the country had curbed civil liberties and used its energy resources as "tools of intimidation and blackmail."

The vice president's remarks prompted a swift and angry response from the Kremlin.

"In Russia today, opponents of reform are seeking to reverse the gains of the last decade," Cheney told an audience in the Lithuanian capital that included the presidents of Lithuania, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Georgia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.

"In many areas of civil society -- from religion and the news media to advocacy groups and political parties -- the government has unfairly and improperly restricted the rights of her people," Cheney said, according to the White House transcript of the speech.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2006/05/05/001.html

Russia sends $10 mln to Palestine in urgent financial aid -1

MOSCOW, May 4 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian government has provided $10 million in urgent financial aid to the Palestinian National Authority, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
"In view of the aggravating socioeconomic and humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories, the Russian government has decided to offer urgent financial aid to the Palestinian National Authority, totaling $10 million," the ministry said.
The funds, intended to be used for social and humanitarian needs, were transferred Thursday to an account of PNA President Mahmoud Abbas's office, the ministry said, adding that the transaction had been coordinated with the Middle East Quartet of mediators, comprising Russia, the EU, the United States and the United Nations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last month it would be wrong to halt aid to the Palestinian National Authority because of radical Islamic group Hamas' dominance of its new government, in an apparent reference to the EU's decision to freeze its aid to the PNA indefinitely.

And now for the rest of the story.

Currency Reserves Jump to $225Bln

Russia's foreign currency and gold reserves rose to a record $225.7 billion on surging oil and natural gas prices, giving the country cash to pay off its foreign debts early.

The reserves jumped by $8.6 billion by April 28, the 23rd consecutive weekly gain and the biggest increase since January 2005, the Central Bank said in an e-mailed statement Thursday. The country's reserves are now the fourth-largest in the world, behind China, Japan and Taiwan.

Russia is awash with cash from oil and gas after the price of Urals, its main export blend of crude, more than doubled in the last two years.

The stockpile prompted President Vladimir Putin to say on April 27 that he wants to pay off the country's debt to the Paris Club of creditor nations ahead of schedule.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2006/05/05/047.html

[mumon]

7. Does this mean that the US recognizes

Russia's interest in Latin America? Or the Middle East?

Just asking.

[cliss]

8. The gall of these people knows no bounds.

There is absolutely no limit to what these people will do. They are beyond outrageous. Imagine the US taking on pretty much every country in the world and saying, "C'mon....I dare you...(acts manly, takes a few swipes....staggers a little bit)...

There is something very self-destructive, almost suicidal in this kind of behaviour.

We KNOW we can't provoke the 'axis of evil', N. Korea, Syria, Iran, along with threatening the entire muslim world, along with fighting 2 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, now threatening Russia, and gearing up for warfare with China which is a 'potential enemy'.

Let's see....who did I leave out?

[Supersedeas]

9. emperial diplomats claiming the appearances can be deceiving

[Vidar]

10. Putin doesn't need the Comedy Channel with these clowns at work.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

11. Russia doesn't have to accept anything from the NeoCon Junta.