"We will never resort to backstage deals, reports on this are absolutely groundless," the ministry said responding to statements by Georgian officials published Wednesday that Moscow had allegedly pledged never to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia's independence.
The ministry said the officials had given a "free interpretation of the results of a recent meeting" between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili.
The ministry said the topic was only briefly mentioned during the presidents' meeting on February 21 and Putin had made no assurances on the issue.
"Russia on the contrary reiterated that it will not copy illegitimate moves by some Western countries. But Kosovo's unilaterally proclaimed independence will now undoubtedly influence our foreign policy," the Foreign Ministry said adding Moscow was committed to a peaceful solution to the conflicts in the ex-Soviet Caucasus state.
The Albanian-dominated region proclaimed independence from Serbia on February 17 and has since been recognized by the United States and the majority of European Union countries. Russia, Serbia's longtime ally, promised to block Kosovo's full international recognition at the UN.
Russia has repeatedly said the recognition of the Balkan region's independence will set a precedent for other breakaway regions, including in the former Soviet Union.
Russia helped end bloody conflicts between Georgia and its breakaway republics after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and has since maintained a peacekeeping contingent in the conflict zones.
But Tbilisi has accused Moscow of backing separatism on its territory. The issue has been one of the stumbling blocks in relations with Russia under the pro-Western Saakashvili, who is seeking to integrate the nation into the EU and NATO.
