Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili said that her country was pleased to see Turkey's support in those dark days.

"Turkey was one of the first countries that clearly said that it favored Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty," Tkeshelashvili told a joint press conference with Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan at an office of the Turkish Prime Ministry in Istanbul.

Tkeshelashvili said that Turkey not only opened humanitarian aid corridor but also extended political support for Georgia.

"It was very meaningful for us to see this support when the fundamental principles of international law were being violated by Russia," she said.

Tkeshelashvili said that the problem experienced in Georgia was not only a problem concerning Georgia, but it was an issue concerning Europe.

Georgia was a small country in which Russia launched an armed attempt to re-draw Europe's borders, she said.

Tkeshelashvili said that Russia thus wanted to increase its influence and desired a union of countries under its control, and told reporters that a European solution was necessary.

"If Europe is to stay in its current borders when the expansionist policies of the Russian Federation are taken into consideration, it will not be safe and prosperous," she said.

Tkeshelashvili said that this conflict would cause a domino effect and could spread to Ukraine or other countries, and could pose a serious threat.

The Georgian foreign minister said her country was undergoing a critical process, and said that Russia was not only militarily invading Georgia but also was making a unilateral and dangerous legal attempt.
"It (Russia) declared independence of two regions in Georgia. We will not discuss any cooperation until we see that Russia is a reliable partner," she said.

Tkeshelashvili said, "we cannot think ourselves as a part of Russia. Georgia is under the occupation of Russian troops right now and the cease-fire agreement is not fully implemented."

The foreign minister said that there would not be talks since the cease-fire was not fully implemented, and expressed her country's and the world's expectation that Russia would fulfil the conditions.

Tkeshelashvili said that she hoped to see better days in the region, and expressed the need for common efforts for such days.

The Georgian foreign minister said that a wider participation and international initiative was necessary to solve the crisis.

AA