Finland’s FM: Georgian people ‘deserve a future based on freedom’

Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has said the Georgian people deserve “a future based on freedom”, while criticising the current Georgian government for failing to represent that aspiration.

Speaking about Georgia and the wider regional situation, Valtonen referred to Russia’s continued military presence in the occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) following the 2008 war.

“Russia has occupied Georgian territories since 2008 - for almost 20 years,” she said.

She added the Georgian people had already made their geopolitical choice in favour of a freer future, but she argued that the current authorities were not reflecting that decision.

“The Georgian people deserve a future based on freedom. This is what they themselves chose, but unfortunately the current government does not represent this,” Valtonen said.

She claimed that Finland continued to support the Georgian people and expressed hope that the Georgian government would take a more active role in defending democratic freedoms and the country’s sovereignty.

“We support the Georgian people and hope there is a future where the Georgian government works more actively for the freedom of its own people, while also demonstrating that Georgia is an independent and sovereign country that does not want a Russian presence on its territory,” she said.