Zee Beam News

03.03.2005 12:22 MSK MosNews - The US will continue to press Russia on what it sees as backsliding on democracy issues, U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice said in an interview published today, in Russian-language daily, Vremya Novostei. Assessing the Bratislava summit between U.S. president George Bush and President Vladimir Putin, Rice said Washington's message to Moscow is cordial but firm concerning what it fears is growing authoritarianism under Putin's watch, AFX news agency reports. "We stated very clearly that we are concerned about the course of democracy in Russia," Rice is reported to have said, according to a translation of her comments to Vremya Novostei. "We retain these concerns. This concerns a certain centralization of power in the Kremlin and the state of the free press," Rice said. However, she added: "At the same time I would like to assure you that we have very constructive relations with Russia at this time. This is really the case, and we plan to develop such relations." "We... are offering to launch an open dialogue between our countries concerning questions that worry us," Rice said. The U.S. has been critical of Putin's decision to scrap direct gubernatorial - governor - elections and to eliminate single-mandate seat elections to the State Duma lower house of parliament. All of the national television stations have also fallen under state control since Putin came to power in 2000.