MOSCOW, November 9 (RIA Novosti) - Georgia's attempts to blame Moscow for the mass anti-president street protests in Tbilisi have severely aggravated bilateral relations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

"The Georgian leadership's attempts to resolve its growing internal political differences by artificially playing on the Russian factor have thrown bilateral relations into a state of acute crisis," the ministry said in a statement after a meeting between Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin and First Deputy Georgian Foreign Minister Nikolos Vashakidze.

On Wednesday, riot police with shields and batons broke up mass rallies which had run for six days in central Tbilisi. Opposition supporters were demanding President Mikheil Saakashvili's resignation and early parliamentary elections.

Saakashvili accused Russia's special services of orchestrating the protests, declared a nationwide state of emergency, and expelled three Russian diplomats. Moscow dismissed the accusations and responded by expelling three Georgian diplomats.

In a bid to end the political crisis, the Georgian leader said on Thursday that early presidential elections would be held on January 5, 2008. He also said a plebiscite on parliamentary elections should be held alongside the presidential elections. Simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections had previously been scheduled for the fall of 2008.

Karasin told RIA Novosti that Moscow hopes Tbilisi will show common sense in its dealings with Russia.

"We are ready for any contacts with our Georgian colleagues... We believe opportunities to improve relations always remain."

However, the diplomat said Georgia must make the first steps to improve bilateral relations.

"Relations should be rectified by those who spoil them. The initiative in aggravating relations, turning a crisis into an acute one, did not come from Russia," he said.