Rice Calls for Greater Democracy in Russia

Russia must do more to show it is committed to “the basics of democracy” if it wants deeper relations with the West, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday.

But Rice, who met with her Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei V. Lavrov, in Turkey, said it would be counterproductive to punish Moscow over concerns that the Kremlin had allowed politically motivated trials and restricted the media.

“It is important that Russia make clear to the world that it is intent on strengthening the rule of law, strengthening the role of an independent judiciary, permitting a free and independent press,” Rice told reporters in Warsaw on an eight-day tour of Europe and the Mideast.

“These are all the basics of democracy.”

Asked later on her flight from Warsaw to Ankara how the U.S. could pressure Russia for change, Rice told reporters, “I don’t really think that the isolation of Russia from the broad trends that are developing worldwide is the answer.”

Rice ruled out moves such as withdrawing U.S. support for Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization. She said that despite their differences, the two nations were cooperating well on key areas, especially counter-terrorism.