Posted on 07/01/2006 10:23:03 AM PDT by sergey1973
For diplomats accustomed to papering over differences, the G8's foreign ministers sounded rather undiplomatic at the news conference following their meeting Thursday.
Minutes before Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters the meeting had avoided internal politics, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the Kremlin's handling of the media and private groups had, in fact, been discussed.
It was, perhaps, a prelude to the G8 summit in St. Petersburg, where U.S. President George W. Bush and other Western leaders may -- or may not -- rebuke Russia for abandoning democracy.
Major outstanding questions are when and where that conversation will come up, and how Westerners, particularly Bush, will balance their criticism with cajoling Russia into supporting UN sanctions against Iran and other issues.
(Excerpt) Read more at themoscowtimes.com ...
The biggest crime is that Russia is allowed in the G8. THey have the economy of Holland.
I like that. :-) Merkel makes a difference. She has met with the Russian opposition (or what´s left of it) when she was in Moscow this year.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.