WASHINGTON (AFP)--US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday she was "very concerned" by tensions between Russia and Georgia, noting she had telephoned her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
"We are are very concerned about the presidential decree that was issued," Rice said as she sat down for talks with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.
"I have spoken with Foreign Minister Lavrov this morning. I spoke with President Saakashvili of Georgia," Rice said, adding: "The US is absolutely committed to the territorial integrity of Georgia.
"We believe that there should be an effort to carry out the plans that the Georgians have talked about to try to deal with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. ... But we are very concerned at the steps that were taken and we have made our views known to the Russian government," she said.
Georgia has reacted furiously to steps by Moscow to strengthen ties with the separatist Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Russia on Wednesday announced it would boost cooperation with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in trade, culture and other areas and provide "complete protection" to Russians living there.
The row comes amid wider tensions over Georgia's desire to integrate with the West and particularly to join the NATO. Moscow is deeply opposed to further NATO enlargement to include ex-Soviet Georgia and Ukraine.