Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding separate talks today in Moscow with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Putin first met Rice at his home in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also taking part.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice begins discussions in Moscow later Monday with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, aimed at smoothing over Russian objections and mistrust over Washington's missile defense plans in Europe. Tuesday, Rice is scheduled for discussions with President Vladimir Putin.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives in Moscow Monday for talks on a number of issues which have recently soured bilateral relations, including a proposed U.S. missile shield in Europe, independence for Kosovo, and an alleged clampdown on democracy in Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has urged Albania to step up its program of economic and political reforms to meet the criteria for NATO membership. Secretary Rice told Albania's new Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha at a meeting Tuesday, in Washington that Tirana should take every possible step to meet the requirements of the NATO action plan.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will try to smooth ruffled feathers in Russia next week ahead of a planned meeting between President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Condoleezza Rice urged Monday to create an international criminal tribunal to fing those responsible for killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The Syrian ambassador to the United States has called a meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "significant." The two U.S. and Syrian officials met for about 30 minutes last Thursday on the sidelines of an Iraq stabilization conference in Egypt. VOA's Stephanie Ho has more on the story from Washington.

An international meeting on ways to stabilize Iraq ended on May 4 without any direct talks between U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called on Iran to stop arming extremists and supporting terrorism in Iraq. At the conclusion of a two-day conference on Iraq in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, Rice said Iran is a culture and a country that should play a positive role in the international community.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with China's new foreign minister, Yang Jiechi, on the sidelines of international discussions in Egypt on Iraq's future. Rice had good discussions on a range of issue during a dinner Wednesday evening with Yang, deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice confirmed that U.S. diplomats have met with Iranian officials in Egypt to discuss security in Iraq.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has begun a session of talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallim, in one of the highest-level meetings between the two countries in years. Rice and al-Muallim met in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where they are attending a conference on Iraq.