"Old friendship" between the former Soviet states should not be forgotten, regardless of "political peripeties", President Saakashvili said on August 16.

He was speaking in presence of visiting Moldovan acting President, Mihai Ghimpu, at Anaklia youth camp on Georgia's Black Sea coast, which is hosting a group of young people from Moldova and Belarus.

Saakashvili, who was speaking in Russian, said: “We love Belarusians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Russians and all those people, who live in former Soviet Union. Regardless of political peripeties and conditions, we should overcome [challenges]".

"We are getting new friends… but we should not forget old friends, because old friends are experienced friends. There are so many things that connects us,” Saakashvili said. “We should not  lose old links.”

He said Georgia "has brilliant relations” with Belarus. He said that Moldova and Georgia had same problems and were in similar economic situation.  

“We are free countries, we are not completely free from territorial point of view, because a part of our territory still stays in the old Soviet Zoo, but a great part of our countries [of Georgia and Moldova] is free – it means that we have a hope,” he said.