Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov Friday expressed regret and deep concern over US State Department officials' meeting with the so-called foreign minister of Chechnya.

"Acts of this kind in fact mean support of terrorists and separatists, and not only in Russia," Ivanov told reporters following a meeting with Irish Foreign Minister David Andrews, who is also chairman of the Council of Europe's committee of ministers, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Russian federal troops are in the middle of a military campaign against rebels in the breakaway republic of Chechnya.

The offensive was launched last September following two waves of armed Chechen incursions into neighboring Dagestan and a spate of terrorist bombings, which left more than 300 people dead in three Russian cities.

The United States has been pressing Moscow to ease the campaign, accusing it of using inappropriate force and causing casualties among civilians. Moscow has rejected such charges, saying the military actions were aimed at "bandits and international terrorists."

Ivanov said US meetings with the so-called Chechen foreign minister were making it more complex to find solutions to the North Caucasus problems and were indeed deepening the plight of the peaceful civilians in Chechnya.

In Washington, US State Department James Rubin acknowledged that Iliyas Akhmadov met late Thursday "ordinary employees" of US departments that deal with human rights, refugees and Russian problems.

He said the US officials were meeting with Akhmadov as a "private individual and a Russian citizen." (Xinhua)