It quickly became clear in whose interests the Russian Federation abolished visas for Georgians and decided to resume air links. We are talking about the same interest of Armenia in direct rail transit through the occupied Abkhazia without its de-occupation.

Such plans are evidenced by a statement made by President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia Sergey Katyrin in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta: "Sergey Katyrin revealed business plans of Russia and Georgia: from Silk Road to almonds and metal hub"

(https://rg.ru/2023/05/12/sergej-katyrin-raskryl-plany-biznesa-rossii-i-gruzii-ot-shelkovogo-puti-do-mindalia-i-metallicheskogo-haba.html):

"...Rail transit should also be organised along the Silk Road route: China, the Iranian port of Bendar Abbas, Astara - Iran, Astara - Azerbaijan, Gabala - Azerbaijan, Marneuli - Georgia, through the territory of Abkhazia to Russia. This will, among other things, allow the conclusion of long-term contracts for gas and oil supplies at stable and predictable prices. Rail transit will also relieve the burden of the Upper Lars border crossing and reduce the cost of deliveries by increasing their volume. In view of the current situation with the transit of Russian goods through Turkey, organising such a scheme is vital..."

Of course, Sergei Katyrin tried very nicely to "disguise" interest of the Armenian lobby to rail transit through Abkhazia. He did not even mention the main person interested in such transit through Abkhazia - Armenia. He did, however, mention Azerbaijan, Transit from India via Iran and the crossing at the Azerbaijan-Iran border in Astara.

Meanwhile, to use the route through Azerbaijan and Iran for transit of Russian goods it is not necessary to open the railway connection through Abkhazia. After all, Russia directly borders with Azerbaijan and has direct railway communication with it and direct access to the same Astara through Azerbaijani territory. Yes, the Astara-Resht section has not been completed yet, but it is still possible to organize the railway connection by opening the Zangezur corridor and quickly completing the now dismantled section via Megri. And there is already a railway crossing to Iran in Nakhchivan.

To " camouflage" the Armenian interest Sergey Katyrin even mentioned that opening of the railway through Abkhazia is necessary to improve conditions for transit of Russian goods to Turkey. However, in general, the transit of goods from Russia to Turkey by rail is easier to arrange through Azerbaijan by opening the same Zangezur corridor. Sergey Katyrin is silent about it for some reason.

Obviously, in the near future the Armenian lobby and the Kremlin will be "persuading" Georgia to open rail transit for Armenia through Abkhazia without its deoccupation and return of refugees. Should Georgia agree to such terms? Absolutely not! Otherwise it risks losing Abkhazia forever!

 All the more that, apparently on the eve of a "visa-free goodwill gesture" from Russia, on the wave of the Kremlin the separatists convicted an illegally arrested last year innocent Georgian girl Christine Takalandze to ten and a half years in prison allegedly for "espionage". Her "espionage" was that she allegedly "photographed a checkpoint" - a "top secret facility" that hundreds of passers-by are already taking pictures of with their smartphones.

But the entire fault of Christine Takalandze is that she is Georgian and wishes to live on her native land, in Abkhazia. But her land was "looked after" by nationalists of completely different people.

The Armenian lobby set a task to the Sukhumi separatist puppets to create unbearable conditions for Georgians remaining in Abkhazia by means of repressions. So that people leave their homeland, go far away from there, even to "visa-free" Russia. And at the same time the same separatist authorities are preparing laws that make it easier for Armenian settlers to buy "apartments" in Abkhazia and move to this historic Georgian land, where Armenians are already outnumbering Georgians and Abkhazians all together.

This is the "carrot and stick" policy towards "Christian-Georgian brothers" by the Armenian lobby. On one hand they open a "visa-free" in Russia, when Georgians are more interested in Europe and there is nothing for them to do in Russia, but on the other hand they continue the policy of ethnic cleansing, humiliation and repression against the remnants of the Georgian population of Abkhazia. The Russian Federation makes it clear to Georgians that they have no place in Abkhazia and gradually settles this Georgian land with new "batches" of immigrants.

  While the Armenian lobby relentlessly pushes for resumption of transit by rail through Abkhazia to Armenia. Why? To smuggle weapons for a new war? So that it is more convenient for Karabakh and Yerevan Armenians, who settled in the homes of Georgians, to travel to their relatives in Yerevan? This cannot be called anything else but a mockery of Georgia and the Georgian people.

Varden Tsulukidze