U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates (left) and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Moscow, March 18, 2008
Photo: AP
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Rice and Yabloko for Breakfast
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates had a business breakfast with Russian politicians, businessmen and social representatives yesterday in Moscow. The American officials were told there that freedom of speech and free elections are under threat in Russia and opposition politicians have no freedom. Yabloko Party leader Grigory Yavlinsky, former member of the State Duma Vladimir Ryzhkov, VTB bank board member and former Microsoft representative in Russia Olga Dergunova, president of the Energy Policy Institute Vladimir Milov, head of the politics department at Russian Newsweek Mikhail Fishman and deputy director of the Moscow Carnegie Center Dmitry Trenin were present at the breakfast, which was organized by the U.S. embassy.
American officials, including U.S. President George W. Bush, have met with Russian human rights activists in such informal settings before, but this is the first time they have met with business and political figures together. Rice stated that they were interested in knowing their opinions about the situation in Russia. The breakfast lasted about an hour.
Ryzhkov later reported that he talked about life in the opposition and how “Russia has become a totalitarian state.” Fishman talked about the independent press in Russia. The arrest of St. Petersburg Yabloko leader Maxim Reznik on accusations of using violence against a representative of authority was discussed. Ryzhkov talked about Reznik's case. Yavlinsky talked about Russian-American relations and the countries' nuclear weapons. Milov noted that the change of presidents provides an opportunity to improve relations somewhat.
Yavlinsky unexpectedly met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week. The Kremlin press service stated that they discussed “the socio-economic situation in Russia.” Yavlinsky said that they talked about Reznik's fate. Yesterday, St. Petersburg Yabloko member Daniil Kotsyubinsky released an open letter, in which he stated that Yavlinsky “entered into secret negotiations with the political regime to return to big politics.” Spokesmen at the central party headquarters called Kotsyubinsky's letter “silly hysterics.”
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Mar. 19, 2008
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