(BERLIN) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili warned the EU against "betrayal" of ex-Soviet republics by offering Russia too many concessions in a new partnership pact, in an interview to be published Monday.

He told German daily Der Tagesspiegel that former Soviet satellites would be watching closely when the European Union resumes talks on a strategic partnership Tuesday, three months after they were frozen in the wake of the Georgian war.

"Russia's smaller neighbours would see a decision by larger European countries to just accept Russia's aggression as a betrayal," he said.

Saakashvili demanded that the 27-member EU ensure that the final document contains "a clause demanding that Russia respect international rules."

He said the bloc should help "steer Russia away from creeping nationalism and militarism" which threaten its neighbours, Europe and Russia's own population.

Saakashvili also accused Moscow of playing politics with its energy interests, with a pointed aside aimed at former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

"Contracts and agreements must mean what they say -- they should not be left to chance based on personal relationship between politicians," he said.

Schroeder, an avowed friend of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, was widely criticised for accepting a highly-paid job with Russian gas giant Gazprom soon after conceding defeat in the 2005 general election.

Chief negotiators for Russia and the EU are to meet Tuesday in Brussels to hammer out an overarching framework to manage their diplomatic and trade ties and ensure constant supplies of Russian oil and gas, replacing an outdated accord from 1997.

On September 1, EU leaders formally suspended the dialogue in protest at Moscow's incursions in Georgia, where thousands of Russian troops had occupied territory around two breakaway provinces.

This month, EU member states voted to resume the talks, over the objections of Lithuania and non-member Georgia, which argues that Russia has boosted troop levels inside the republics and still occupies enclaves outside them.

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