Lali Okujava: Georgia as a Strategic Gateway for Global Trade, Export, and Logistics

At the World Woman Forum 2026, held during Global Business Week Davos, Lali Okujava, Co-Founder and Director of MGL Group (Bulgarian–Georgian Logistics Group), presented a compelling vision of Georgia as one of the most promising logistics and export hubs connecting Europe and Asia.

In her presentation, "Georgia: A Strategic Gateway for Global Trade, Export, and Logistics," she emphasized that logistics is far more than the movement of goods. It is a strategic driver of economic growth, international cooperation, and sustainable business development. Efficient logistics, she noted, enables companies of every size to access global markets, strengthen competitiveness, and create new investment opportunities.

Lali Okujava highlighted Georgia's unique geographical position along the Middle Corridor, connecting Europe and Asia through modern transport routes, Black Sea ports, and expanding logistics infrastructure. This strategic location creates significant advantages for international trade and positions Georgia as an increasingly important transit and distribution hub.

She also showcased Georgia's strong export potential, including internationally recognized wine, mineral water, nuts, berries, honey, and agricultural products, emphasizing that global success depends not only on product quality but also on reliable logistics, efficient customs procedures, modern warehousing, and well-organized supply chains.

Drawing on the practical experience of MGL Group, she demonstrated how professional logistics solutions reduce costs, shorten delivery times, and help businesses confidently expand into international markets. She called for stronger cooperation between governments, investors, businesses, and logistics providers to build resilient trade networks and accelerate regional economic development.

Concluding her presentation, Lali Okujava shared a message that reflected the spirit of international partnership:

"Business grows where there is trust, and trust grows where there is cooperation. Every successful trade route connects not only markets but also people, ideas, and cultures. Together, by building reliable partnerships and sharing knowledge and experience, we can create a stronger, more connected, and more prosperous world."

Her presentation demonstrated that Georgia's strategic location, growing logistics infrastructure, and export potential position the country as an emerging gateway for international trade—creating new opportunities for businesses, investors, and sustainable economic cooperation between Europe and Asia.

Marina Belaia: Building the Future Through Human Values

At the World Woman Forum 2026, held during Global Business Week Davos, Marina Belaia delivered an inspiring presentation titled "Building the Future Through Human Values," emphasizing that the greatest strength of any society is not technology or economic growth, but the values that guide its people.

Speaking before an international audience of entrepreneurs, executives, educators, and women leaders, she argued that in the era of Artificial Intelligence, trust has become the world's most valuable competitive advantage. While technology can automate processes and analyze data, it cannot replace empathy, integrity, compassion, or authentic human relationships.

At the heart of her presentation was Brandway—a human-centered philosophy that helps individuals and organizations discover their authentic identity, strengthen their character, and lead with purpose. Marina Belaia emphasized that sustainable leadership begins not with strategy, but with values, encouraging leaders to build businesses where trust, responsibility, and respect become part of organizational culture.

Using Moldova as an example, she highlighted how multicultural heritage, resilience, and cooperation can become powerful drivers of innovation and sustainable development. According to her, the country's greatest asset is not its geography or natural resources, but its people and their ability to build bridges across cultures.

One of the defining messages of her presentation summarized a powerful chain of sustainable development:

Strong families create strong people.
Strong people build strong businesses.
Strong businesses strengthen communities.
Strong communities build peaceful nations.

Marina Belaia concluded with a message that resonated throughout the forum:

"The future is not something we simply inherit—it is something we create together through every decision we make. Our greatest competitive advantage will never be technology alone. It will always be our humanity. Because we do not simply build brands. We build people. And people build the future."

Her presentation reinforced one of the central themes of the World Woman Forum 2026: the leaders of tomorrow will be those who successfully combine innovation with humanity, business success with responsibility, and professional excellence with integrity.

Inga Malakmadze Presents an Innovative Tourism Concept at World Woman Forum 2026 Davos

At the World Woman Forum 2026, held during Global Business Week in Davos, Inga Malakmadze, Founder of Calypso Travel and Event and Co-Founder of Wheel of Ages, introduced an innovative vision for the future of tourism and experiential learning through her presentation, "Wheel of Ages: Building a New Category of Immersive Transformational Tourism."

Drawing on more than 22 years of experience in travel, events, and adventure design, she argued that the future of tourism is no longer about simply visiting destinations—it is about creating experiences that transform people. As she explained, people rarely remember places only for what they saw; they remember who they became during the journey.

The presentation introduced Wheel of Ages as a new concept of an Immersive Storyworld Destination, where authentic history, nature, storytelling, interactive experiences, hospitality, technology, and cultural heritage are combined into one living world. Developed around Georgia's historic Drisi Fortress and its surrounding canyon, the project transforms cultural heritage from a passive attraction into an active experience in which every visitor becomes part of the story.

Designed for both individual travellers and corporate groups, the model combines tourism, leadership development, education, team building, and cultural preservation within one integrated ecosystem. Its four-level journey encourages visitors to return repeatedly, creating long-term emotional engagement rather than one-time tourism.

Beyond tourism, Inga Malakmadze highlighted the project's wider impact. The model has the potential to stimulate regional economic development, support local communities, preserve traditional crafts, create new jobs, strengthen cultural identity, and build international partnerships between tourism, business, education, and the creative industries.

Concluding her presentation, she shared a simple but powerful message:

"People do not remember places only for what they saw. They remember who they became there. Heritage should not be preserved only behind glass—it should come alive through participation, meaning, and belonging. Every nation has stories waiting to be lived."

Her presentation demonstrated that the future of tourism lies not only in attracting visitors, but in creating meaningful experiences that inspire personal transformation while preserving cultural heritage for future generations.

For her outstanding contributions and achievements in the development of event tourism, Inga was honoured with the international Boss Award and featured on the cover of the prestigious business magazine Boss.

Scotch Whisky as an Investment Asset: How Scotland's "Liquid Gold" Became a Global Wealth Strategy

Scotch Whisky as an Investment Asset

By Kenny Smoth

For centuries, Scotch whisky has been one of Scotland's greatest exports and a symbol of craftsmanship. Today, however, it is more than a premium spirit—it has evolved into an alternative investment asset attracting private investors, family offices, wealth managers, and institutional portfolios worldwide.

Often called "liquid gold," rare Scotch whisky has demonstrated impressive long-term appreciation driven by scarcity, ageing, and increasing global demand.

A £5 Billion Industry

Scotch whisky is one of Britain's most valuable export industries.

Some key facts:

• Annual exports exceed £5.3 billion.
• Scotch is exported to around 160–180 countries.
• More than 150 distilleries operate across Scotland.
• Approximately 44 bottles of Scotch whisky are exported every second.

Unlike many luxury goods, Scotch whisky becomes rarer every year.

Every cask naturally loses approximately 2% of its contents annually through evaporation—known as the Angel's Share. As the whisky matures, both its age and scarcity increase.

Why Whisky Appreciates

Several powerful factors drive value:

1. Time

A 25-year-old whisky cannot be produced in less than 25 years. Age cannot be accelerated.

2. Scarcity

Only around 12% of all Scotch whisky is bottled as Single Malt. Older casks become increasingly rare because evaporation reduces volume every year while global consumption continues.

3. Global Demand

Demand has expanded dramatically across:

• United States
• China
• Japan
• Singapore
• Taiwan
• Middle East
• Europe

Luxury collectors increasingly view premium Scotch alongside fine wine, classic cars, watches, and art.

Historical Returns

Although future performance is never guaranteed, the long-term data is impressive.

According to market studies:

• Rare whisky bottles appreciated by over 111% during the past decade in one major luxury index.
• Some investment firms managing whisky portfolios reported average annual returns of approximately 10.6% between 2018 and 2025, though these figures are based on their own managed portfolios rather than the entire market.
• Other industry participants cite long-term annual growth expectations in the 8–12% range for carefully selected casks, but these are estimates rather than guaranteed returns.

Like any alternative asset, returns vary widely depending on the distillery, cask quality, purchase price, holding period, and market conditions.

Ways to Invest

There are three primary strategies.

1. Whole Whisky Casks

The most popular approach. Investors purchase an entire cask while it continues ageing inside a bonded Scottish warehouse.

Advantages:

• Lower entry price than equivalent bottled whisky
• Natural value appreciation through ageing
• Institutional demand from bottlers
• Physical ownership

Typical holding period: 5–20 years

2. Rare Bottles

Collectors purchase limited editions from prestigious distilleries such as:

• Macallan
• Springbank
• Bowmore
• Ardbeg
• Dalmore
• GlenDronach

Exceptional bottles have sold at international auctions for hundreds of thousands—and in rare cases, millions—of pounds.

3. Diversified Whisky Portfolios

Professional investment firms build portfolios across:

• multiple distilleries
• different whisky regions
• varying maturation ages

This reduces concentration risk.

How to Start Investing

Experts generally recommend the following process.

Step 1

Learn the market before investing.

Understand:

• distilleries
• maturation
• cask types
• bonded warehouses
• auction markets

Step 2

Work only with reputable specialists.

Verify:

• legal ownership
• cask registration
• warehouse records
• insurance
• transfer documentation

The Scotch Whisky Association advises investors to confirm the distillery, year of distillation, cask reference number, storage arrangements, contractual restrictions, and realistic pricing before purchasing.

Step 3

Invest for the long term. Whisky is not a day-trading asset. Most successful investors hold their casks for many years.

Step 4

Diversify. Rather than buying a single expensive cask, many investors spread capital across several distilleries and age profiles. 

Who Should You Work With?

A trustworthy whisky investment partner should provide:

• verified cask ownership
• bonded warehouse storage
• insurance
• regular valuations
• exit strategy
• transparent fees
• independent documentation

Never rely solely on promised returns. Independent verification of pricing and ownership is essential.

Risks Investors Should Understand

Whisky investing is attractive, but it is not risk-free. Potential risks include:

• changing global demand
• liquidity (finding buyers may take time)
• storage costs
• insurance costs
• bottling costs
• excise duty and VAT upon bottling
• overpaying for a cask

The Scotch Whisky Association specifically warns that casks are commodities whose prices can rise or fall with supply and demand, and that investors should treat projected returns with caution.

Recent market conditions also illustrate this: after several years of exceptional growth, parts of the rare whisky market experienced a correction as global demand softened and auction activity declined.

Scotland's New Investment Icon

For generations, investors relied on property, equities, precious metals, and fine art. Today, Scotch whisky has joined that list. Its appeal lies in a unique combination of:

• tangible ownership,
• centuries of heritage,
• global demand,
• natural scarcity,
• and long-term appreciation potential.

For patient investors who conduct proper due diligence and work with reputable specialists, Scotland's iconic spirit can serve not only as a cultural treasure but also as a distinctive component of a diversified investment portfolio.

As with any investment, however, success depends on disciplined research, realistic expectations, and a long-term perspective rather than the expectation of guaranteed high returns.

Irina Selevestru Presents Moldova's Investment Potential at Global Business Week Davos 2026

At the prestigious GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK DAVOS 2026, hosted at the Davos Congress Centre, international investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and business leaders from more than 40 countries gathered to explore new opportunities shaping the future of global business.

Among the most compelling country presentations was delivered by Irina Selevestru—an insolvency practitioner, crisis manager with over 25 years of professional experience, liquidator of Air Moldova Airlines, and trusted adviser to international investors entering the Republic of Moldova.

Her presentation, "MOLDOVA — Small Country. Extraordinary Opportunities," challenged outdated perceptions and introduced Moldova as one of Europe's most promising emerging investment destinations.

Looking Beyond the Headlines

Few professionals understand business resilience better than someone who has spent decades rebuilding companies from their most difficult moments.

For twenty-five years, Irina Selevestru has worked where businesses face their greatest challenges—examining financial collapse, restructuring enterprises, protecting investors, and creating pathways for sustainable recovery.

This unique perspective allows her to identify opportunities that others often overlook.

Standing before an international audience in Davos, she chose not to speak about bankruptcies or crises.

Instead, she spoke about potential.

About a country that remains largely undiscovered by international investors despite possessing exceptional natural resources, strategic geography, talented people, and strong European ambitions.

Her message was clear:

Moldova may be one of Europe's smallest countries, but it offers opportunities that far exceed its size.

A Strategic Location at the Gateway to Europe

Located between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova occupies a strategically important position at the crossroads between Eastern and Western Europe.

Its direct border with Romania, a member of the European Union, provides businesses with convenient access to the EU's single market of more than 450 million consumers.

As global companies continue to diversify supply chains and seek production closer to European markets, Moldova is becoming increasingly attractive as a nearshoring destination.

The country benefits from preferential trade agreements, including the EU–Moldova Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), enabling many Moldovan products to enter European markets with reduced trade barriers.

In an era where resilient supply chains have become a strategic priority, Moldova offers investors proximity, flexibility, and growing connectivity.

Agriculture: One of Europe's Greatest Natural Assets

Agriculture remains one of Moldova's strongest competitive advantages.

The country is blessed with some of the world's most fertile chernozem (black earth) soils, considered among the richest agricultural lands globally.

These fertile landscapes produce exceptional harvests of:

• cherries,
• plums,
• apples,
• grapes,
• walnuts,
• blackcurrants,
• sunflower,
• cereals,
• vegetables,
• and numerous specialty crops.

Agriculture contributes significantly to Moldova's exports, while enormous opportunities remain in food processing, packaging, cold storage, logistics, and value-added production.

Rather than exporting raw agricultural products alone, Moldova increasingly seeks partners capable of building internationally competitive food-processing industries.

For investors, this represents an opportunity to participate in one of Europe's fastest-growing agri-food sectors.

Wine: Five Thousand Years of Tradition

Perhaps no industry reflects Moldova's identity more profoundly than winemaking.

Archaeological evidence suggests that wine has been produced in the region for approximately 5,000 years, making Moldova one of the world's oldest wine-producing territories.

Today, Moldova ranks among the world's leading wine exporters and has earned international recognition for the quality of its wines.

During the past decade, Moldovan wineries have collectively won more than 8,000 international medals, demonstrating growing global appreciation for their products.

The country is also home to two extraordinary destinations:

• Cricova, famous for its vast underground wine galleries extending over 120 kilometres;
• Mileștii Mici, recognised by Guinness World Records for housing the largest wine collection in the world, containing well over one million bottles.

These remarkable underground wine cities are internationally recognised tourism attractions and have been promoted as part of Moldova's cultural heritage.

Wine tourism has become one of the country's fastest-growing sectors, combining gastronomy, hospitality, culture, and investment opportunities.

Visitors rarely leave Moldova without wanting to return.

A Dynamic IT and Digital Economy

Beyond agriculture, Moldova has quietly become an emerging technology hub.

Its workforce is young, highly educated, multilingual, and internationally competitive.

Many professionals speak Romanian, Russian, English, and often French, enabling companies to serve multiple international markets from a single location.

The internationally recognised Moldova Innovation Technology Park (MITP) has attracted hundreds of technology companies through one of Europe's most competitive tax regimes for the IT sector.

Software development, cybersecurity, business process outsourcing, digital services, and fintech continue to expand rapidly, making Moldova an increasingly attractive destination for international technology investment.

Logistics and Regional Connectivity

Moldova's geographic position also creates significant opportunities in logistics.

Situated between European Union markets and Eastern Europe, the country serves as an important transport corridor connecting multiple regional economies.

Growing investment in warehouses, logistics parks, customs infrastructure, and distribution centres reflects increasing demand for regional supply-chain solutions.

As European manufacturers continue relocating production closer to key consumer markets, Moldova's role as a logistics hub is expected to become even more significant.

Why Local Knowledge Matters

Drawing upon twenty-five years of experience, Irina Selevestru emphasized one lesson repeatedly confirmed throughout her career.

Companies rarely fail because of poor ideas.

They fail because they misunderstand the local environment.

Every country possesses unique legislation, administrative procedures, business culture, and market dynamics.

The difference between success and costly mistakes often depends upon choosing the right local partner.

Having advised numerous foreign investors entering Moldova, Irina Selevestru has developed extensive expertise in investment structuring, legal protection, insolvency prevention, corporate restructuring, and risk management.

Her role extends beyond legal consultancy.

She acts as a bridge of trust between international capital and Moldova's business environment.

Helping investors identify opportunities.

Avoid unnecessary risks.

Navigate local regulations.

Protect investments for the long term.

Every successful investment creates new employment opportunities, strengthens local businesses, encourages young professionals to remain in Moldova, and contributes to the country's continued European integration.

A Country Ready for the Future

As Europe reshapes its economic landscape, Moldova is emerging as one of the continent's most promising investment frontiers.

Its combination of fertile land, strategic geography, talented workforce, competitive costs, expanding digital economy, internationally recognised wine industry, and growing integration with European markets positions the country for long-term sustainable growth.

For forward-looking investors, Moldova represents more than an emerging market.

It represents an opportunity to participate in the next chapter of European economic development.

A Message to the World

Concluding her presentation, Irina Selevestru addressed an invitation to the international business community:

"After twenty-five years spent inside businesses caught in the storm, I will give you one piece of advice: never enter a market you do not know alone. Enter it with someone who knows its roots. I have seen why businesses fail in Moldova—that is why I know exactly how successful ones are built and how investments can be protected from costly mistakes. Moldova is small, but it is built with love, and its opportunities are extraordinary for those who arrive with the right partner. When you come to Moldova—and believe me, you will—look for me. I will open the right doors, introduce the right people, and show you where real value grows. I am Irina Selevestru. Moldova is waiting for you—and I will be waiting for you in Chișinău."

Contact

Irina Selevestru
Insolvency Practitioner • Crisis Manager • Investment Adviser

📞 Phone: +373 69 289 362
📧 Email: moldinsolv@gmail.com
🌐 Website: moldinsolv.md
Facebook: Moldinsolv | Irina Selevestru

FIFA Abandons Controversial Private Investment Plan Following Global Backlash

World Football's Governing Body Reaffirms Its Commitment to Independence and Integrity

In one of the most significant governance reversals in recent football history, FIFA has officially withdrawn its proposal to introduce private investment into its flagship competitions, including the FIFA World Cup, after facing widespread opposition from football associations and stakeholders around the globe.

The initiative, championed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, proposed creating a commercial subsidiary responsible for managing FIFA's major tournaments, allowing external investors to acquire ownership stakes. As part of the proposal, FIFA's 211 member associations were reportedly offered US$40 million each in exchange for supporting the restructuring plan.

However, the proposal quickly sparked intense criticism across the international football community. UEFA's 55 member associations warned that they were prepared to boycott FIFA competitions if the plan proceeded, arguing that the commercialization of football's governing structure could threaten the independence of the sport.

Amid mounting pressure, FIFA officially abandoned the project.