(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-15 10:32

SANTIAGO -- Russia has showed greater openness toward the US missile defense system for Eastern Europe and expressed interest in a US proposal, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said here Friday.

The US move to deploy a missile defense radar in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland by 2012 was fiercely opposed by Russia, which has seen it as a Western provocation at its doorstep. The United States claims that the system is designed to counter possible attacks from rogue states such as Iran.

Related readings:  Obstacles remain for Poland to accept US missile shield plan  US, Czech Republic fail to agree on missile shield  Russia warns of retaliation against US missile shield  Putin compares US missile shield to Cuban crisis

Rice, who was on a Latin American trip, told reporters here that she would visit Moscow next week with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates to have a face-to-face meeting,.

Rice declined to elaborate on what proposal Moscow is interested in, but said she would not go so far as to say that Russia's opposition to the plan had diminished.

The interest Russia has shown "might be worth Bob Gates and I going out to see whether or not we can clarify and develop some of the ideas," Rice said.

"In private, we've had good discussions with the Russians," Rice said.

The two countries have wrangled over the US planned missile defense system. Russia said it would challenge Russia's national security and threatened to target its missiles at the system if it was deployed.

Rice was also scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his successor Dmitry Medvedev during her visit to Russia.