“We are entering a new chapter one where geography matters again, where stability becomes a competitive advantage, and where the ability to maintain relationships across divides is not a diplomatic nicety, but an economic necessity,” said Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, addressing the World Government Summit 2026.

According to the Georgian PM, at a moment when the world’s commercial routes are being redrawn not by the invisible hand of market economics, but by the very visible fist of geopolitics.

“Consider what has happened to global trade in just the past few years. The northern corridors that once carried goods efficiently between Europe and Asia have been severely affected by the war in Ukraine. Supply chains that took decades to build were disrupted overnight. Businesses that planned for efficiency suddenly found themselves planning for survival.

Look eastward, and we see Pacific trade routes increasingly politicized by the Great Power tensions. Tariffs, sanctions, and strategic decoupling have transformed what was once the world’s most dynamic commercial relationship into a complex geopolitical contest. Even the most traditional partnerships now face unprecedented friction. Trade disputes and policy differences have introduced uncertainty to once-stable relationships.

This is not the economic globalization we once knew. We are entering a new chapter one where geography matters again, where stability becomes a competitive advantage, and where the ability to maintain relationships across divides is not a diplomatic nicety, but an economic necessity,” he said.