U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday that during her trip to Russia next week she will push Russian President Vladimir Putin to stay on the democratic path. "My message there will be that a democratic and vibrant and prosperous Russia is in everyone's interest," Rice told a group of newspaper editors in Washington. "Our relationship with Russia holds enormous potential, and we can do even more together as Russia moves along a democratic path," she added. Rice will depart Washington Monday evening for the first leg of her trip. After her discussions in Moscow, Rice will head to Vilnius to participate in a NATO gathering. The United States has raised concerns about backsliding in Russia's democratic evolution, citing moves by Putin to strengthen the power of the Kremlin and crackdowns on the media. Washington has also objected to the jailing of a Russian oil- tycoon who has been heavily critical of the Kremlin, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, on tax fraud charges. --More 0037 Local Time 2137 GMT
