Russia's slide from democracy gets Rice's attention

WASHINGTON - United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants to tie Russia closer to the West with trade incentives and only tempered criticism of its eroding democracy during a two-day trip to Moscow this week.

The former Soviet specialist will visit Moscow to shore up a deal meant to stop anti-American militants from stealing Russian nuclear material while stemming what her predecessor called Russia's democratic backsliding.

With many Russians suspicious that the US wants to curb their country's development and influence abroad, Rice said she would stress the benefits for the Russian economy and its relations with the West if it improves its democratic record.

"My message there will be that a democratic and vibrant and prosperous Russia is in everyone's interests," said Rice, who was scheduled to arrive in Moscow late on Tuesday for her first trip to Russia as the top US diplomat.

One of the US's main difficulties in Europe is "to find a relationship with Russia that can bring Russia west so that Russia continues its progress toward a more democratic and open and free market society", Rice told a conference of US newspaper editors.

Western and Russian civil rights campaigners accuse President Vladimir Putin of restricting democracy by abolishing the election of provincial governors, pursuing a political vendetta against the Yukos oil company and tightening the Kremlin's grip on the media.

Many activists want Rice to lean harder on Putin and they complain that despite US President George W Bush's pledge to spread freedom worldwide, the administration's approach is too cautious for fear of losing Russia's cooperation in the war on terrorism.

Last year, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell also accused Russia of reversing trends toward democracy, but Rice -- following Bush's lead -- has studiously avoided such pointed criticism.

Instead, Rice, whose diplomacy draws strength from her closeness to the president, says Russia should not be isolated. Rather, the US should take measures such as helping Russia to join the World Trade Organisation because open markets can foster more open societies, according to Rice.

Rice, who will also attend a Nato meeting in Lithuania, hopes to flesh out a fairly cosmetic agreement between the two presidents in February on increasing cooperation on keeping nuclear material out of the hands of terrorists.

But a Russian diplomat said criticism over democracy stoked some influential politicians' suspicions the US wants to limit Russia's standing abroad, making it harder to win their support for cooperation over such military issues.

"Suspicion is there and we have to work very deliberately to move away from the Cold War legacy," the diplomat said.

- REUTERS