one more english translation tip?

Question

the roots for the relations between the two countries lie in the time long before the formation of the state

is that the right style or somebody has a better idea (i posted it in the US Yahoo, not in the german, so please only answers from people who really know)

kate: that is my problem - i wanted to tell, that the reasons for the relations between the two countries today can be found in history: a long time before the one of the two countries has been a sovereign state, so i said: a long time before the formation of the state.

Answer 1

Is that the whole sentence?

I didn't get the "lie in the time long before" thing, sorry but it doesn't make sense it's a fragment of a phrase.

If it's a part of a longer text check it in your word tools, spelling and grammar

Answer 2

sounds good to me ! :)