Washington - The United States said Wednesday it anticipates little change in Russia's foreign policy after outgoing president Vladimir Putin stepped down, but called for Moscow to stop meddling into Georgia's affairs.

Stephen Hadley, national security advisor to US President George W Bush, told reporters he expects "continuity in Russian foreign policy" under new President Dmitry Medvedev.

"That means there'll be areas where we agree, and ... areas where we disagree," Hadley said.

"Obviously we're very concerned what Russia is doing in Georgia, in a series of actions which we have labeled and said are provocative. And we think Russia needs to back down from those items," Hadley said.

Georgia has accused Moscow of violating its territorial integrity and of seeking to annex Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two regions with Russian populations that have been autonomous since civil wars ended in the early 1990s.

In general, Hadley said Bush expects to have a "good relationship" with Medvedev and will talk "very plainly about areas in which we disagree."

Bush met the then-Russian-president-elect during a recent visit to Sochi, Russia, where they had a "good conversation," Hadley said.

Although Bush and Putin enjoyed a close personal relationship, tension has also risen between the two countries over US plans to base missile defence in Europe. Washington has also been a critic of Putin's alleged crackdowns on democratic institutions and civic organizations.

"We have been distressed by the direction of Russian politics and Russia's democracy over the course of the past several years," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Wednesday, but added the United States will continue to work with Russia on areas of mutual interest. (dpa)