Within the framework of his visit to the Republic of Finland, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ilia Darchiashvili met with the President of Finland Alexander Stubb.

The sides discussed the partnership relations between the two countries. The conversation also focused upon the prospects for further development of cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral formats.

At the meeting, special attention was paid to the process of Georgia"s rapprochement with the European Union and the role of Finland in this regard. Hope was expressed that the political and practical support of the Republic of Finland will help Georgia to move to the next stage of EU integration after receiving the candidate status.

Ilia Darchiashvili thanked the President of Finland for supporting Georgia"s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also gratefully noted the personal involvement and contribution of Alexander Stubb, as the acting chairman of the OSCE and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, to the peaceful resolution of the conflict in 2008, at the crucial period for Georgia.

The sides also discussed issues of regional security. It was noted that Georgia will continue to contribute to the strengthening of global peace in the future. Against the background of existing challenges, the need for closer political dialogue was emphasized.