Rice arrived in Moscow yesterday for a two-day visit, aimed at easing tensions triggered by a series of disputes between the two nations.

"I know people talk about and throw around terms like new Cold War. As somebody who came out of that period as a specialist in it I think the parallels...frankly, have no basis whatsoever," the top US diplomat told reporters.

"It's not an easy time for the relationship. It's not. But it's also not a time in which I think any sort of cataclysmic things are happening," she added.

Rice and Russian officials were expected to discuss bilateral and international issues, including Iran's nuclear issue, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Kosovo and U.S. plans to deploy anti-missile components in central Europe, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

They will also make arrangements for a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart George W. Bush on the sidelines of a G8 summit next month in Germany, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Russia-US ties are experiencing a downturn sparked by rows over an array of issues, such as US plans to deploy anti-missile components in Poland and the Czech Republic, close to Russia's western border.

Russia has slammed the missile shield plans, saying it will harm its national interests and regional security as well.

In response, President Putin threatened to suspend Russia's participation in a key treaty limiting military deployments in Europe.

General Staff Chief Gen. Yury Baluyevsky said last week that "if we see that a threat is coming from the facilities (elements of the missile defense system) that could be created in Europe, we will definitely plan action against them."

The plans will turn Europe into a US forward defense line and will result in the emergence of new military and political divide on the continent, Itar-Tass cited Igor Neverov, Foreign Ministry director of the North American department, as saying.