Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush, saying no third party should be involved in the row over Georgia's arrest of four Russian officers last week, a president spokesman said on Monday.

"Russia said any actions taken by third countries that might be considered by Georgia's leadership encouragement of its destructive policy were unacceptable and dangerous for peace and stability in the region," presidential press secretary Alexei Gromov was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

Relations between Moscow and Tbilisi have been increasingly strained since Georgian authorities arrested four Russian officers last week, charging them with spying activities.

Russia has recalled its ambassador in Tbilisi and evacuated its citizens.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first public comments on the crisis on Sunday, denouncing the arrest as "an act of state terrorism involving the taking of hostages."

The four officers have been handed over to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairman-in-Office Karel de Gucht on Monday, and then to Russian diplomats. They went back to Moscow aboard a Russian Emergency Situations ministry plane on Monday night.

The conversation was held at the request of the United States. Putin and Bush also discussed Iranian nuclear issues and the schedule of further contacts.

According to the presidential press service, both sides stressed the need to continue consultations, which will be primarily aimed at solving nonproliferation problems.

Source: Xinhua