US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Moscow for talks with the Kremlin leadership, delivering a new round of criticism of Russia on issues ranging from democracy to nuclear safety and energy policy. (AFP photo)

  MOSCOW, April 21 (Xinhuanet, by Xu Liyu ) -- While US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who wrapped up her Moscow visit Wednesday, sounded upbeat about US relations with Russia, she left with US worries over some developments in Russia that put Moscow on the defensive.

    Rice, who flew in Tuesday for meetings with President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, described US relations with Russia as "very warm" in an interview Wednesday with Moscow Echo radio.

    In the recent years, the United States and Russia have done their best to talk with each other on different issues in a spiritof mutual respect and cooperation, and such an approach would havea positive impact on relations between the two countries, Rice said.

    Part of Rice's mission was to prepare for a summit meeting between Putin and his US counterpart George W. Bush, who is due toattend celebrations in Moscow on May 9 marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II.

    "The relations between Russia and the United States remain quite complicated," said Viktor Kremenyuk, head of the US and Canada Institute at the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    Ivan Safranchuk, head of the Russian office of the International Center for Defense Information, said skepticism towards Russia is growing in Washington.

    "Its essence is that Russia should not be looked at as an enemy,but no positive hopes should be associated with it and it should be held back in all areas, including foreign and economic policy,"said Safranchuk.

    "We see Russia as a strategic partner in the war on terror. We see Russia as a strategic partner in stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction. We see Russia as a strategic partner in solving regional issues like the Balkans and the Middle East," Rice said. "Russia is not a strategic enemy."

    In a sign of showing amity, Rice said for the first time the United States is not opposed to Russian involvement in Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant. Russia's activity in Bushehr helps the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, she said.

    While airborne from Moscow to Vilnius for NATO meetings, Rice said she had intended to send a strong message that the United States believed developments in former Soviet republics were not "in any way anti-Russia or meant to diminish Russian influence" in the region.

    While in town, Rice discussed with Putin the war on international terror, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and measures to stabilize conflict-hit regions. Both expressed readiness to cooperate in the Middle East peace process.

    Upbeat as Rice was over US-Russian cooperation, she appeared critical of what she called the centralization of power and press freedom in Russia.

    "Some of the decisions they (Russians) have made have not been good in the direction of the establishment of truly competitive democratic institutions," Rice said in the interview.

    The United States has raised questions about the media's readiness and willingness to make themselves heard and assess the government's role, Rice told a joint press conference with Lavrov after their talks Wednesday.

    Russian officials responded by saying they are willing to discuss any topic with the United States and are keeping the US government in the know on its legislative efforts to promote democratic and market reforms.

    "Of course, we discussed these issues. There is nothing unusualabout such discussions as our dialogue has no closed topics," Lavrov said.

    "But it is difficult to discuss how everybody feels about the 'absence' of a free media as we need specific examples, which we are also ready to discuss," Lavrov said.

    "We have been regularly informing our American friends, at their request, about what is happening in Russia," Lavrov said.

    Lavrov said Rice agreed 15 years is a short time for reforms and time is needed for them to work effectively.

    "A mutually respectful dialogue of this kind would benefit bothparties," the minister said. Enditem