Russia's Lavrov Ignores Bush Democracy Criticism

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=7697907

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's foreign minister on Tuesday ignored pointed criticism by President Bush of the state of democracy in Russia while the press, much of it under state control, gave scant coverage to his remarks.

Sergei Lavrov said that Bush, speaking in Brussels on Monday ahead of a meeting on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, had set respect for human rights as a priority for cooperation between the United States, Russia and Europe.

"We also include in this ... observing minority rights," Lavrov told Russian reporters, according to RIA Novosti agency, referring to the rights of Russian-speakers in Latvia which Moscow says are violated.

But Lavrov did not respond directly to Bush's comments that "the Russian government must renew a commitment to democracy and the rule of law" -- an apparent reference to Western concerns that Putin has taken an increasingly authoritarian path.

more