Rice set for rocky encounter with Russia's Lavrov

NEW YORK -Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday in what is expected to be a tense encounter following Moscow's incursion into Georgia last month."We are obviously in a rocky period in our relations with Russia, " said a senior U.S. official on the eve of the meeting at Rice's hotel on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.Rice's spokesman said the afternoon talks would focus on Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs, but that she would also raise Russia's military actions in Georgia, the key factor that has sunk relations to post-Cold War lows."We have a number of mutual interests here," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, who sought to play down the tensions.Rice's uneasy relationship with Lavrov has been laid bare in the past at other international meetings, where the two have clashed over Iran and other issues. Russia has consistently opposed stronger punitive measures against Tehran.Setting the tone for the New York meeting, Russia pulled out of talks by major powers planned for Thursday at which a fourth round of sanctions was set to be discussed against Iran in a bid to get Tehran to give up its sensitive nuclear work.Rice has presided over a steady deterioration of U.S. ties with Russia and led international condemnation of Russia's decision to send troops to Georgia to stop Tbilisi's attempt to retake the pro-Russian, separatist region of South Ossetia.An expert on the former Soviet Union, Rice gave a tough speech last week in which she said the West must resist Russian "bullying," accusing Moscow of becoming increasingly authoritative and aggressive by its actions, particularly in Georgia, whose president she met on Tuesday.
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As in the days of Noah....