U.S. says concerned over downing of Georgian drone

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States expressed concern on Wednesday over the shooting down of a pilotless Georgian reconnaissance drone and reaffirmed its support for Georgia as it grapples with Russia over two rebel territories.

"The United States is deeply concerned by the shooting down of an unarmed Georgian UAV, by a presumably Russian MiG-29, over the Abkhazia region of Georgia on April 20," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement.

McCormack added that Washington was "concerned by the presence of a MiG-29 aircraft in Georgian airspace without Georgian authorization, and by the use of weapons from this aircraft in shooting down an unarmed Georgian UAV."

The Russian air force has denied responsibility.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week ordered his government to establish closer ties with separatist authorities in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two breakaway regions of Georgia. The move sparked new tensions between the two former Soviet states.

Georgia has accused Russia of "creeping annexation" of the rebel territories since they threw off Tbilisi's control in fighting in the 1990s.

McCormack reaffirmed Washington's support for Georgia in its standoff with Russia and restated its concern over Russia's strengthening of ties with the separatist regions.

In a show of support earlier in the day, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Georgian Foreign Minister David Bakradze at the State Department.

"Our commitment to Georgia and to its territorial integrity is firm," Rice told reporters before the meeting.

(Writing by JoAnne Allen; Editing by Peter Cooney)