Caucasians, first of all I have the honor to express my respect to the Armenian nation. My great friendship with Armenians living in Georgia gives me the right to do so.

Listen, I have a story for you. Familiarize yourself with this letter and I will tell you the main thing at the end.

When describing the Kingdom of Kartli, the Greek geographer Strabo (64-63 BC, 23-24 AD) says that four roads converged in Mtskheta, the capital of the Kingdom of Kartli.

From Artaan, the road connected to Kars, Arzrum and Akhaltsikhe. The geographer and military figure, Lieutenant-General Giorgi Kazbegi, as well as the scientist Weidenbaum, who was sent to Lazika, assured their government that the mentioned Batum-Ardagan road had the greatest international importance, because it connected Persia with Europe in the shortest way. This story happened in 1874.

Searching for new ways

In 1714, the first Georgian diplomat Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani went to France with a project that should be no less useful for France than for Georgia. His designs were to strengthen the trade of the subjects of King Louis XIV., to destroy the trade of the Dutch and thereby reduce their power, to compete with them in India, from which they derive all their wealth, to terrify the Portuguese, to compel the England there to pay respect to us, and force Turks and the Persians in a kind of attitude... The only purpose brought him to France was to transport silk by Georgia, which is produced in Persia, in the provinces of Gilan and Shemakhi. The Armenians are forced to go overland through Turkey on the Black Sea to bring the silk from these two provinces of Persia in caravans to Smyrna, where it is sold almost entirely. The road through Georgia would be reduced by three quarters... It could easily be explained to the Shah of Persia that he himself would be interested in this business to dye more silk. To this would be added a trade from Georgia in wax, wool, lead, or plants, where it would also be convenient for France to draw part of Maud with other goods.

But then the king of France did not get tired of Georgia

"Claudius Bombarnac" is an adventure novel written by Jules Verne in 1893. A journalist from the "Twentieth Century" newspaper receives an assignment to describe a trip on the "Great Trans-Asian Railway" that stretches from Uzun Ada (an island in the Gulf of Izmir, Turkey) to Beijing. Artist Leon Beckett attached two maps of the railway line to the book. And here is a miracle - the road passes through Tbilisi. The title of the first map is from Tiflis to Kashgar, and the second map is from Kashgar to Beijing. And at the end of the 19th century, Jules Verne and his associates will lead the "Silk Road" from Beijing to Europe via Tbilisi...

Here we will tell you what Alexander Griboedov's project envisaged during the “Tsarism” period.

Russia was interested in subtropical products, vineyards, tobacco, silk, dyes and medicinal plants in Georgia... When the transit between Europe and Iran was opened through Georgia, after 10 years Russia banned this transit. They realized that Georgia was benefiting from this transit, Georgian industry and trade were developing, and strengthening of Georgia was not in Russia's interests. Then, like Georgia, Armenia's trade-transit function declined once again.

Georgia's location has always determined its past, present and future. No matter how many European or Asian leaders gather and no matter how much they talk about trade and transit issues of the continent, if a representative of Beijing sits at one end of the table, a representative of Tbilisi must sit at the other end of the table. Because the cargo producing region is South-East Asia, and Georgia should transfer it to Europe. And no one can change this situation. You will find out why this is so in the last part of the text.

French traveler and merchant - Jacques Francois Gamba wrote in 1824: "The continuous entry of camels and horses into the city and their departure from here... the transport of goods from various distant countries - all this gives a special look and fills these peculiar hotels (caravans) with life" Merchants of different languages ​​and countries seem to live united in one community... Tbilisi can be considered a key place between Europe and Asia".

Now let's briefly evaluate where, why and when the geopolitical function of the Caucasus between Europe and Asia was lost. In 1801, the Russian royal court realized that they could not maintain such a large state if they did not create some unifying strategy. And a decision was made at the royal court - about the construction of a railway from the Chinese border to the European border through Moscow. Thus, if necessary, they ensured the rapid transfer of military units of the empire, food supply, etc. The natural and historical Silk Road passing through the Caucasus has shifted to the north.

Today's geopolitical process has advanced the factor of the historical Silk Road under the condition that the Central Asian countries will move under the umbrella of China, and the umbrella of the Caspian, Black and Mediterranean sea corridor will be London. The Baltic Sea also joins the corridor of three seas. The creation of a new British alliance is also related to this: London's patronage for Ukraine via Warsaw, the connecting triangle of Lublin with the Baltics and the trio of Ukraine with Moldova-Georgia, plus the quadriga with Turkey. Georgia is the only country in the region that has free trade agreements with the EU and China, and it is naturally geographically in the middle of these two huge markets. Added to this are Georgia's free trade agreements with Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and in the future with the Emirates. The current war will also end with the victory of Ukraine, and the trade and transit routes will return to the historical nutshell, one of the branches of which used to pass through Abkhazia and Crimea. The function of the Caspian energy carriers for Europe will increase, and the transit of Iranian oil will also fall into a new channel. Iran will restore trade with Europe through South Caucasus countries.

Why will this happen?!

To better explain this, I will share with you the key to our shared geopolitical function as two nations:

According to the English geo-politician and member of the British Privy Council Halford John Mackinder, the center of the world is held by the continent of Eurasia, and the Caucasus is located in its center. It is the Caucasus that is the "Heartland" (Heartland), in case of subjugation of which it became possible to establish control over the world. In 1919, the publication "Democratic Ideals and Realities" wrote: "He who controls Eastern Europe rules the Heartland, he who rules the Heartland rules the World Island, he who rules the World Island rules the World."

The Silk Road, which passes through Georgia, is the primary alternative to transit through Russia. With its restoration, Russia will be bypassed by Japan, India, other Central Asian countries, and through Georgia-Armenia-Azerbaijan, they will enter the European market with their two dozen trillion goods turnover. One ten trillion cargo turnover will also be added reversely from Europe. Therefore, Russia spared nothing to destroy the historical Silk Road. This is also one of the main reasons why Russia wants and tries to bring the Caucasus into its sphere of influence.

Friends and neighbors,

We remind you that time rules, not kings. There are economic platforms of countries on the continent - Benelux, Baltic, four Asian tigers, Scandinavia... The time has come for the Caucasus, which should ensure a harmonious order between Europe and Asia and a meeting of civilizations.

Friends, the facts presented in the letter from Georgia are directly related to the historical function of Armenia on the Silk Road. In the future, India will be connected to European markets through the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea. We have a lot of work to do on this transit road between Tbilisi and Yerevan and much more than just this corridor. The largest producers of wheat in the region are Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria. The Black Sea should be for Armenia and the Iran-Armenia door for Georgia. The Silk Road is half of the world economy, the gateway of which is the Caucasus, and the countries of this gateway should share the profits from the continental trade according to the rules of the fair game.

Dear Armenian friends,

I know for sure that this letter will reach you.

 

Sincerely:

Zurab Maghradze

Doctor of Business Administration

May 6, 2022