Open Letter from the CEO of GTR dated January 17, 2008

In preparation for the formation of Former Soviet, Eastern European, and People's Republic of China Investment, I first made two visits to Ukraine. Those trips will be followed by visits to China, Russia, and other Eastern European countries. I traveled to Ukraine from the San Francisco Bay Area both in July 2005 and in December 2006. The trip was planned as a relaxed social visit with the additional goal of assessing the business environment, consumer needs, attitudes, and opportunity readiness.

It is no secret that as Americans, we are in general, ignorant of geography, culture, politics, and the day to day existence of the greater part of the world — except for what our TV stations “CHOOSE” to show us to tell us what to think. Beyond ignorance, if there is such a place, we are also prejudiced. We think that we have the best of everything and we secretley, or perhaps unconciously, look down our collective noses at all other cultures and countries -- especially the struggling former Soviet Union countries and the massive "third world" populations including China, etc.

We are painfully aware that the Middle East and other oil producing areas must be recognized and catered to. It is common knowledge and a subject of everyday discussion that we are outsourcing jobs and labor to India, Mexico, Phillipines, and other lower wage labor forces. Most of us, however, are only beginning to open our eyes to the economic power, potential, needs, culture, and markets of the countries in Eastern Europe and China. There is no shortage of information about the huge growth in their investments in us, their stock markets, their industries, their level of earnings, and their consumption, yet only the enlightened and the large multinational businesses have taken a business foothold in these countries -- and a growing number of investors have also discovered profitable niches in their stocks.

It is not enought to sit back and watch cable news stories about the macro economies of theses countries or to revel in reports of their strife or market failures. It is, and has been for sometime, a global economy. We are locked together — like it or not. I needed to see for myself how things are at the grass roots of their economy — the people. In Ukraine, for instance, the average person goes to his or her job, to movies, to coffe shops, to restaurants, to church on holidays, and shopping just as we do here. Perhaps they appreciate and support theatre, music, and opera even more that we do, since much of that culture originated before America was born. Most people in Ukraine don't have a computer at home, so they fill the Internet cafés to receive and send email. It doesn't leave a lot of time or money for browsing the Internet but the video gamers are undetered. Gamers fill the game section of the Internet cafés in numbers of 50's and 100's for hour upon hour. It should come as no surprise to know that even many of the poorest are likely to have a cell phone; and women find ways to get the cosmetics and new fashions that they NEED.

I experienced clean and comfortable living quaters whether I was in a hotel or a rented furnished apartment. Most of the buildings are very old, very European, and built to withstand the cold war atomic threat. That also means that most of them are not modern but I lacked no comfort in either of my trips; and there are many new modern beautiful hotels. New construction is prevalent everywhere but especially so in the larger cities.

Anyone traveling to Ukraine, Russia, or places in Eastern Europe should take time to learn the difference in what to expect as well as customs for their own comfort and to avoid problems and possible embarrassment. Taxis are cheap and plentiful but know your local money and approximately what it should cost to your destination. Agree on that beforehand or you might get ripped off. Sound familiar New York, etc.? No! Most people don't speak English but in the bigger cities many people speak enough English to help you.

ATM's, Western Unions, and Banks are on every corner but most people have never even heard of a checking account and don't have a credit card. Most still don't even have a bank debit card.

Another important matter is that in Russia and Ukraine a huge percentage of Russian men are heavy drinkers or alcoholics, smokers, or are jobless. Even many of those who do have work can barely support themselves well, least of all a wife and family. The men there in general are not romantic or attentive to the women like western and American men. The women make do. They are happy, appear incredibly beautiful and have a magnificent spirit in spite of all. In some outlying cities, they “can” and store vegetables for the winter months like we used to do 100 years ago. Yet they live in cities surrounded by modern conveniences and many wonderful things that many of them can't afford to buy. The people see more of the world news than we do and see events in the United States on TV as fast as they happen. They also see the poverty, the middle class, and the wealth and the life styles of the western world. Communicating with Western men with financial means throught Internet matching sites has nearly become a national past-time for women and has spawned a huge problem with Internet marriage/matching fraud — BUT has also producted many successful happy international matches and marriages.

My visits to Ukraine were like Columbus discovering the New World. The people are beautiful and friendly. The women, who I believe, are, in significant ways, indicators of the direction and future of the economy, were strong, and positive; and they demonstrated a fashion sense superior to Americans. Women overly enjoy being women and still hold to tradional notions of the male being the head of the family. It is conceivable that women are driving the economy at many levels although they seem to be under invisable at the upper levels of business and politics. The facts are however, that women are more integrated and represented in more professions than their counterparts are here in America.

Small street markets are well organized and sources of everything from shoes to clothing and even wood for the stove; and they are seemingly run mostly by women. Small, medium, and large stores, and malls are everywhere and busy; and I was amazed by the array of goods from the United States and the rest of the world. True, however, that the average wage has not quite caught up to make many of these goods affordable but people there are living more comfortably — and things are still improving.

The national currency of Ukraine — The Hryvnia Diamonds Rings Engagement Marriage Money American and Ukrainian Women

Communism Capitalism Peristroyka Glasnost Uskorenie Starvation Famine Soviet President Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov

But What About Vladimir Putin's Russia and The Rollback of Democracy

Yes, they still have many problem areas with male alcoholism, male smoking, crime, poverty, drugs, corruption, political strife, and outside and internal threats — the same as we do — but CAPITALISM is alive and thriving. I could write a book about how impressed I am with what I saw and experienced there but I will end this by saying that the time is right to for our firm to use all means possible to lock into Eastern Europe's, Russia's, and China's economic growth potential through import, export, manufacture and internal and external investments.

I now look forward to trips to China and Russia as well as many return visits to Ukraine.

That in short sums up the goal of this division of Global Trade Route, Inc. — to engage and to stay engaged in this segment of the global market.

Albert Sheppard
GTR CEO

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