U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) shakes hand with Chile's Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley before a meeting at the Foreign Affairs Ministry at the Santiago March 14, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    SANTIAGO, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Russia has showed greater openness toward the U.S. missile defense system for Eastern Europe and expressed interest in a U.S. proposal, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said here Friday.

    The U.S. move to deploy a missile defense radar in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland by 2012 was fiercely opposed by Russia, which has seen it as a Western provocation at its doorstep. The United States claims that the system is designed to counter possible attacks from rogue states such as Iran.

    Rice, who was on a Latin American trip, told reporters here that she would visit Moscow next week with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to have a face-to-face meeting,.

    Rice declined to elaborate on what proposal Moscow is interested in, but said she would not go so far as to say that Russia's opposition to the plan had diminished.

    The interest Russia has shown "might be worth Bob Gates and I going out to see whether or not we can clarify and develop some of the ideas," Rice said.

    "In private, we've had good discussions with the Russians," Rice said.

    The two countries have wrangled over the U.S. planned missile defense system. Russia said it would challenge Russia's national security and threatened to target its missiles at the system if itwas deployed.

    Rice was also scheduled to meet with Russian President VladimirPutin and his successor Dmitry Medvedev during her visit to Russia.

Visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R) and Chilean Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley Rioseco wave to the press in Santiago, capital of Chile, March 14, 2008. Rice arrived at Chile and met Chilean President Michelle Bachelet Friday.(Xinhua Photo/Victor Rojas) Photo Gallery>>>

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