Rice heading for Russia next week

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will head to Moscow next week for talks with her Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, her spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday.
"There are a lot of issues to talk about in the US-Russia strategic relation, spanning from nuclear non-proliferation to missile defense to the development of democracy in Russia," McCormack told reporters.
He said it was also possible that Rice will make a stop somewhere in the Middle East. He made clear that the visit likely will not be to Israel, although a trip there is on a future agenda.
"We are taking a look at exactly when is the right time for her to make the visit to the Israelis and the Palestinian Territories," McCormack said.
A State Department official said Monday that Rice would take part in a meeting of the Quartet major powers involved in Mideast peace, to be held at an undetermined location in Egypt.

05/07/2007 15:28 GMT