EU maant Lavrov tot matiging na spanningen tussen Rusland en Georgië (en)
Met dank overgenomen van Fins voorzitterschap Europese Unie 2e helft 2006 i, gepubliceerd op dinsdag 3 oktober 2006.
Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja called Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on 2 October. Foreign Minister Tuomioja expressed the EU's concerns regarding the current state of Georgian-Russian relations.
Foreign Minister Tuomioja urged the Russian side to demonstrate restraint and to avoid provocative statements in order to prevent further escalation. A similar message has been passed to the Georgian side, namely to President Mikheil Saakashvili and to Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili during the EU troika visit to the South Caucasus on 2 October. Foreign Minister Tuomioja encouraged both parties to solve bilateral issues through frank dialogue and confidence-building.