U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to visit Russia next week, the State Department announced Friday. Rice's visit will occur approximately three weeks before U.S. President George W. Bush visits Russian President Vladimir Putin, department spokesman Tom Casey said during a press briefing. While in Russia, Rice plans to discuss numerous issues with Putin, including an upcoming meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-Russia Council scheduled for Vilnius, Lithuania. Rice will travel to Vilnius to meet with other NATO foreign ministers, according to Casey.
