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Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed authorities to take measures to reduce tensions with Georgia, including lifting a ban on the import of certain Georgian goods, ending visa restrictions and speeding up reconstruction of a border crossing AP Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his government to take steps to ease tensions with Georgia after strengthening ties with two breakaway regions.

lic Georgia, the Foreign Ministry said April 18 — a move that came amid international concern over Moscow’s recent decision to strengthen ties with two breakaway Georgian regions.

Putin instructed authorities to hold talks aimed at lifting a ban on imports of Georgian wine, mineral water and other products; ending visa restrictions, and speeding up reconstruction of a border crossing, the ministry said.

The order follows Russia's April 16 announcement that it is establishing stronger ties with two regions—Abkhazia and South Ossetia—that broke from Georgian government control in early 1990s wars and are not recognized by any country, including Russia.

That announcement angered Georgia, which views the move as a threat to its sovereignty, and alarmed the West.

Georgia accused Russia of seeking to annex the territories and demanded it reverse the decision. Vice Prime Minister Giorgi Baramidze rushed to Brussels to discuss the matter with NATO and EU officials, calling Moscow’s move “very, very, very dangerous” for the stability of the eastern Caucasus region.

“Russia has crossed the red line, and Europe and the Euro­Atlantic community must react,” he said in Belgium.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on April 18 to say the US is “very concerned at the steps that have been taken” on the two regions and is “absolutely committed to the territorial integrity of Georgia.”

“We consider that such measures do not contribute to the peaceful settlements of the conflicts,” EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero­Waldner said after talks with Baramidze.

NATO, which less than two weeks ago said at its summit that Georgia could one day join the alliance, said it was “deeply concerned.” Under pressure from Moscow, NATO leaders postponed a decision on launching programs to prepare Georgia for membership.

With his April 18 call to improve ties with Georgia, Putin appears to be trying to demonstrate that Moscow is behaving in a constructive way even as it opposes Georgia’s drive for NATO membership and backs the two separatist regions.

Russia is “truly interested” in improving relations with Georgia, Russian officials said. “We hope that our actions in this direction will be received properly by the leadership of Georgia, from which we expect positive steps in response.”

But Georgian officials questioned Russia’s sincerity.

“Russia is trying to create the illusion of a mood of cooperation with Georgia. We are sure that this attempt by the Russian authorities will not lead to the fooling of our American and European friends,” Georgian Foreign Minister David Bakradze told reporters in Tbilisi.

“When the prior move by Russian authorities virtually annexes a third of Georgia's territory, cooperation with the remaining part of Georgia does not resolve problems,” he said.