Russia made official its discontent with Georgia’s recent moves to join NATO by suggesting that such a move could lead to violence in the former Soviet republic's breakaway areas of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

After a meeting between the Russian and Georgian leaders, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he wanted to reiterate his country’s strong interest in seeing the conflicts in the above mentioned breakaway areas resolved. He also said that this can not be solved by moving Georgia “artificially” into NATO because it would lead to unrest in the region.

During the meeting, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pushed Georgia’s president Mikheil Saakashvili to sign a pact agreeing not to use military force against Russian-backed separatists in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Georgia has already secured a promise from NATO to join the block, although they haven’t received a time table. However, Moscow said Georgia’s accession to NATO would threaten Russian security.

Lavrov said that the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia can not be solved through Georgia’s accession to NATO.

“This is an illusion. We could only watch another bloodshed," he added.

The relations between the two countries have worsened since Tbilisi Western-leaning government came to power in Georgia in 2004. The main points of argument between Moscow and Tbilisi also included Russia’s support for Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Georgia accused Russia of heightening tension in the region by sending in troops with the intention of annexing the region. On the other hand, Moscow says Tbilisi planes to attack.