Rice: 'Time isn't right for the Russia agreement'




Now is not the right time for the United States to move forward on a once-celebrated deal for civilian nuclear cooperation with Russia, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday.

 

Her comment increased speculation that US President George W. Bush is planning to punish Moscow for invading Georgia, a former Soviet republic, by canceling the agreement.  ''The time isn't right for the Russia agreement,'' Rice told reporters while flying from Tunisia to Algeria during a visit to North Africa. ''We'll be making an announcement about that later.'' (AP)