Helsinki - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Finnish President Tarja Halonen on Monday discussed the situation in the breakaway region of South Ossetia in Georgia, the Finnish president's office said.

Halonen expressed concern for the situation and called for an immediate end to the fighting saying "there was no military solution" and that humanitarian relief should be channelled to the civilian population, according to a statement issued by the president's office.

The Finnish president backed recent calls for troops to be withdrawn to the positions held before fighting broke out last week.

According to Halonen's office, Medvedev during the telephone conversation also expressed concern for the refugees in South Ossetia.

Finland is current president of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Late Sunday, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, whose nation holds the rotating EU presidency, met with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and presented a plan to end the fighting.

Kouchner and Stubb later flew to Moscow. (dpa)