Georgia, Tbilisi, September 8 / Trend N. Kirtskhalia /
Finland has always supported and will support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said in Tbilisi on Wednesday.
He said that he and his French colleague Bernard Kouchner tried to stop the Russia-Georgia war two days after the outbreak of hostilities in August 2008.
"We visited Moscow, Tbilisi and Gori several times," he said.
He said that Finland also supports Georgia's integration into the European Union and welcomes the signing of the EU-Georgia agreement on the simplification of the visa regime.
"We hope that a visa-free regime will be established between Georgia and the EU in the near future. It is also very important to start negotiations on associate membership of Georgia in the European Union. It is also necessary to start negotiations on free trade. It will bring Georgia together with the EU," Stubb said.
He noted that Finland had to come a long way before it became a member of the European Union in 1995.