November 1918

Northern Mountainous Republic

We recently signed a treaty recreating the Transcaucasian Federation with Azerbaijan which would for years to come guarantee the rights of peoples in our region to exist as autonomous and free states. As the civil war develops between the Whites and Reds we feel that the economy of our region will suffer if we do not create trade corridors through the Black Sea to the west. Georgia has already formulated a strategy with Azerbaijan and is busy securing investors to expand rail, pipeline and port capacity to speed the transfer of goods and capital. If we create the Federation we can increase this economic synergy and work on joint industrialization. Furthermore, we have formed a united army over 60,000 strong and the inclusion of your state in the military commission would bring this number up further. To protect the autonomy and independence of all our peoples we will need a federal system and collective defence. Finally we will guarantee to protect you in the event that others attempt to prevent you exercising your autonomy, culture and religion.

Armenia

We have signed a treaty with Azerbaijan which will resurrect Transcaucasia. We understand the prior federation broke down but we are pursuing a policy of fair and equitable treatment of all minorities and ethnic groups within a federal system. We also through collective defence would ensure your eastern possessions are protected from Turkish and Kurdish aggression and that your people will continue to practice your culture and language in peace. Furthermore, we will offer to hand over the disputed territory in Lori as an incentive to join the Federation.