US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will try to promote reforms in Georgia and a peaceful resolution of its separatist conflicts during her visit to Tbilisi this week, her spokesman said Monday.
Rice's visit, following stops in Prague and Sofia, is designed to "encourage Georgia's continuing along the pathway of economic and political reform," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
He also expected her "to talk about resolving some of the existing issues related to Abkhazia as well as South Ossetia, and to encourage resolution of those conflicts purely and solely within the confines of a peaceful resolution."
McCormack added: "Certainly we'll encourage the Georgian government to work in good faith as well as other parties to work in good faith and that includes Russia."
Georgia regularly accuses Russia of seeking to annex South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and derail its efforts to join the NATO military alliance. Russia in turn accuses Tbilisi of preparing to take back the breakaway regions by force.
Abkhazia will cut all ties with the national government, rebel leader Sergei Bagapsh was quoted as saying Monday after blaming Georgian officials for recent attacks.
Abkhaz and Georgian officials have very little direct contact but some transportation links still remain between Abkhazia and the rest of Georgia.
Tensions have risen since Russia in April sealed a formal cooperation accord with Abkhazia, partly inspired by Kosovo's independence declaration.
Abkhazia has enjoyed de facto independence since breaking away in a conflict after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.
Abkhazia's independence is not formally recognized by any country.
Meanwhile, tensions soared in South Ossetia on Friday after separatists said two people were killed by intense shelling and threatened to retaliate with heavy weapons.
