I am proud to be a part of Tbilisi culture, - Armenian businessman Ruben Vardanyan said in an interview with Giorgi Isakadze on Forbes Talks in response to a question about Georgia.
"My mother was born and raised in Tbilisi. As a child I spent a lot of time here in Tbilisi, Georgia. One of the things that always surprised me in Georgia was the culture of the Tbilisi yard. We lived in a four-story building with large balconies and a big yard. Not far from the hotel "Iberia" ... Now there is a hotel "Radisson". We lived in a house where two or three generations of different nationalities lived together. Most of them were Georgian, Armenian, Greek, German and Russian people. Nobody cared what nationality you were," he said.
Giorgi Isakadze recalled the statement made by an Armenian businessman during the hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan last year, according to which Vardanyan stressed the importance of holding a neutral position.
"The important message of my statement in Georgia was the following. We live in a very transparent world. We live in a world where sooner or later everything becomes clear. It is essential to maintain close relationships that are important for the present and for the future as well. In 10-20 years, everything will become known to the public. Shame on anyone. This was my message to Georgia - to follow old traditions and refrain from this very unpleasant situation. Even in the case of neighbors, it is important to find a way to continue the relationship after the quarrel. So, my main message was: try to be neutral and try to help both sides make peace, nothing more," he said.
As of Armenian businessman Ruben Vardanyan, he will engage in Armenian politics in addition to the business this year. According to Forbes, his fortune is about USD 1 billion.
