|
Rice slams Russia
01/06/2007 07:28 - (SA)
Potsdam, Germany - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made new jabs at Russia on Thursday, saying the country needed to improve its human rights record and work with the West.
"We want Russia to be strong, but strong in 21st century terms - not just with a strong centre, but with strong, independent institutions, both in and out of government a strong, independent judiciary and legislature, a strong, independent society with a strong, independent media and free and fair elections with access for monitors," she said.
"Democratic institutions and an open society are not a source of weakness. Nor is freedom of speech and freedom of the press a nuisance."
Rice made the speech as she accepted a prize from the German foundation Atlantik Bruecke (Atlantic Bridge) in the eastern city of Potsdam for her work in promoting German reunification in 1990 when she worked at the White House under former president George Bush, the father of the current US leader.
Missile defence system
She said Washington was puzzled by Moscow's objections to US plans to station a missile defence system in eastern Europe.
"I have to tell you that I find Russia's recent missile diplomacy difficult to understand, and we regret Russia's reluctance to accept the partnership in missile defence that we have offered," she said.
"We also think that Russia should work with us to ratify the Adapted CFE Treaty, not suspend its obligations under the treaty," she said, referring to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe signed by 22 Nato member states and Warsaw Pact countries in November 1990.
The United States says its planned radar base in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in neighbouring Poland would defend Europe against potential threats from Iran and North Korea, while posing no threat to Russia.
President Vladimir Putin announced in response that Moscow was freezing compliance with a European conventional weapons control treaty and accused the United States again on Thursday of triggering a new arms race.
Kosovo
Rice and her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov traded barbs on the missile defence system as well as the future status of Kosovo on Wednesday at a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Eight most industrialised nations.
She raised the issue of Kosovo again on Thursday.
"Our most pressing challenge now is Kosovo. The status quo there is unsustainable, and independence - supervised at first - is the only realistic and desirable course," she said.
"Delay will bring little but the threat or reality of instability. We need to resolve Kosovo's final status now. At the same time, we need to show the citizens of a democratic Serbia that they, too, have a future within our Euro-Atlantic family."
Britain on Thursday unveiled a revised draft resolution in the Security Council offering minor changes but reaffirming support for the UN plan for Kosovo independence.
Lavrov warned Wednesday that Russia might "have to" use its veto at the United Nations Security Council to block the full independence of Kosovo from Serbia, a traditional Russian ally.
Bush has invited Putin to a rare two-way summit in Maine in July to help ease mounting bilateral tensions. They will meet first at the G8 summit in the northern German resort of Heiligendamm from Wednesday.
- AFP
|
News
