In what could be the beginning stages of a future US-backed attempt at regime change, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with opposition groups from Belarus. The meeting took place on the sidelines of a NATO summit in neighboring Lithuania. Rice told the dissidents there will be “a road to democracy in Belarus”, which she has described as the “last true dictatorship” in central Europe. Belarus and Russia accused Rice of interfering in the country’s internal affairs. Belarus is an important defense partner to Russia and a vital part of its gas export pipeline network.