The negotiation agenda concerns essential aspects of the upcoming summit. The negotiators are to elaborate in practical detail the issues the Russian and US presidents will be considering, said Alexander Yakovenko, official spokesman of Russia's Foreign Ministry.
The Bratislava summiteers will set the tune to bilateral cooperation for the four years to come, and give another impetus to tackling practical problems the two presidents have posed to buttress and extend its partnerly basis, he added.
Sergei Lavrov and Condoleezza Rice are to discuss guidelines for bilateral partnership and topical international issues-in particular, the anti-terror alliance as team efforts are built up to meet the latest threats and challenges.
Mr. Lavrov is to spend a mere few hours in the Turkish capital. He will fly back to Moscow tonight.
Miss Rice is making her maiden tour as US State Secretary. There are nine countries on her itinerary-the UK, Germany, Poland, Turkey, Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Israel.
The USA does not intend whatever radical changes of its contacts with Russia, and looks forward to further constructive partnership in every field, she reassured on the eve of her departure.
The State Secretary, however, highlighted complications in Washington-Moscow relations, the way they are now. On the one hand, there is fruitful cooperation in many spheres-suffice it to mention the anti-terror cause and regional conflict settlement, in particular, in the post-Soviet area. On the other hand, Russia's democratic progress is uneven, she pointed out. Be that asit may, today's Russia is unlike the Soviet Union, and a U-turn to the Soviet past is out of the question, she said emphatically.
The US Administration and the Russian top will go on debating those matters, remarked Miss Rice, who hopes for ever-closer bilateral ties.
