Rice keeps up the rhetoric against Russia

POTSDAM, May 31 (Reuters) One day after sparring with Russia over missile defence and Kosovo, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today accused its ex-Cold War foe of being behind the times in its foreign policy.

Underlining the difficult relationship Washington has with Russia, the top US diplomat described it as a mix of ''cooperation and competition, friendship and friction.'' ''But at times, Russia seems to think and act in the zero-sum terms of another era,'' she said in prepared remarks for a speech where she received an award for her contribution to German unification while she was a Soviet specialist working at the White House.

She said Russia's opposition to the US-proposed missile shield was hard to understand as was Moscow's suspension of its involvement in the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty.

The United States wants to deploy a radar system in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland by 2011-12.

It says the system would counter threats from so-called ''rogue states'' like Iran and North Korea, but Moscow sees it as an encroachment on its former sphere of influence.

The United States has been particularly critical of Russia's crackdown on the media and a general erosion of freedoms as the Kremlin centralized its power.

''Democratic institutions and an open society are not a source of weakness. Nor is freedom of speech and freedom of the press just a nuisance that the state can attack at will,'' Rice said.

Yesterday, after a meeting of G8 ministers, Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov traded barbs at a news conference on a range of issues.

''When we differ with Russia, we will consult, we will address their views seriously, and we will express our own views candidly,'' Rice said.

Russia opposes a plan for Serb-run Kosovo by UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari that offers the Albanian majority province independence under international supervision.

But Rice said supervised independence was the only realistic course for Kosovo and the status quo was ''unsustainable.'' ''Delay will bring little but the threat or reality of instability. We need to resolve Kosovo's final status now.'' But Lavrov made clear in his discussions with Rice that the Serbs and Kosovo Albanians should be allowed to sort out the question of the future status of the Serbian province themselves, without outside interference.

Washington is sensitive over its deteriorating ties with Russia and President George W Bush has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to his family's home in Maine in July in a bid to help improve the troubled relationship.

Earlier today, Rice had been expected to deliver a scathing attack against Russia in a speech at the Vienna-based Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe, but in her open remarks she avoided any criticism and decided not to deliver the anticipated speech.

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