Moscow  - Russia has branded a planned two-day NATO military exercise in Georgia as a provocation, and called for it to be postponed, according to the Interfax news agency.

Russia's ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, said the planned manoeuvres in May would cause serious concern in Moscow.

Eight months on from last August's conflict between Russia and Georgia, relations between Moscow and NATO are still strained.

NATO announced on Wednesday that an exercise involving 19 member states would take place. Georgia itself has applied to become a member of NATO.

Rogozin pointed to last weekend's mass protests against President Mikheil Saakashvili in Tbilisi, and called the operation an "interference in the internal workings" of Georgia.

Tens of thousands of Georgians spent Easter weekend calling for the resignation of the pro-Western Saakashvili, blaming him for last year's war with Russia.

Russia and Georgia are at odds of the breakaway territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Moscow has recognised the two as independent regions, and sent more than 7,000 Russian soldiers to the area.(dpa)