Orioni Posted December 12, 2015 Posted December 12, 2015 (OOC: Yes, I'm using an IC election to bridge my period of RL inactivity. It seemed like a good idea... For OOC discussion you can co here.) TO: All nations of Europa FROM: The Beautiful Empire of Orioni Esteemed leaders of Europa, allies, and friends, Today, after eight long years of silence, the good citizens of Orioni have voted for a change in their government. A clear and overwhelming majority has decidedly chosen to vote the previous Imperial Council, installed in 2007 and reelected in 2011, out of politics. Today, the previous government's policy of isolationism, which dominated the Empire's foreign relations for eight long years, has proven a failure. As it turns out, The reestablisment of these international ties, one of the key elements in our new government's election program, received nationwide support. Today, a new wind is blowing through the Empire. With consent of the Empress, I am taking this first step to reopen our great nation to the wider influences of Europa. This will be the goal during our first 100 days. I thank you for your attention, and look forward to working with you again. Signed,Sir Andrew Pipkin Councillor of Foreign Affairs The Beautiful Empire of Orioni
Suverina Posted December 13, 2015 Posted December 13, 2015 TO: The Beautiful Empire of Orioni FROM: The Great Queendom of Suverina Her Majesty's government is most pleased with the Beautiful Empire leaving her isolationist policy behind. HM's government hopes this can be the beginning of a beautiful friendship between our two great nations. May ever our friendship blossom and ties grow stronger. Ana Codrianu Her Majesty's Minister of Foreign Affairs (OOC: I felt I had to use that Casablanca reference.)
Orioni Posted December 28, 2015 Author Posted December 28, 2015 A dimly lit room in Meda, the old and decadent capital of eastern Orioni. Iosef Strupar had his eyes partly close, his gaze fixated on the black-and-white marble floor on which he was standing. No longer at the table, as had been his place before. No, he was left standing on the side. A reject. An outcast. Stripped of his former position of power. Like a toy casually tossed aside, as if he no longer had any value. This loss was entirely of his own making. It had been two weeks since his shameful defeat in the election. His nationalist party had been reduced to single digits. He was forced to publicly admit this shameful defeat, and then resign. That time, when he was still calling the shots, felt like a lifetime ago. A life that was robbed from him by the simple cast of a vote. "That ignorant populace and their bloody democracy," he thought to himself. "Why couldn't those voter sheep just see it his way!?" Looking around the room, Strupar recognised the greying heads of many wealthy families, important corporations and industrialists, news media owners, and some more shady figures he had once been briefed about directly by security services. The 'Patriarch' had called for a conclave in full session. A rare occasion. Hushed murmurs turned to silence when the tall and heavy wooden doors swung open. The only thing left to be heard was a painful screech of the hinges. Strupar held his breath, afraid even to breathe. He saw the compact figure enter the room, and calmly take his place at the head of the table. The clear sound of cold water being poured into a glass. And then the Patriarch spoke in his demanding voice. "Too long have we worked, to see victory slip from our grasp. Too long have we schemed, to let this setback change our plans. While unexpected, this election will prove to be nothing more than a grain of sand on our path to domination." The Patriarch paused, to let his first message sink in, and peered around the room. When this icy gaze came in Strupar's direction and lingered for just a second too long, he felt a shot of lightning sheer through his body. With the same monotonous hiss as before, the Patriarch continued. "One meaningless grain of sand. For Scorpio, there have many paths to victory. Containment plans have already been put into effect. Soon, our media networks will start undermining the work of these monarchist and socialist traitors. The dictatorship of Orioni will flee before us, like their constellation does in the winter sky. We will break these chains once and for all, like our forefathers did one millennium ago. Revenge will be ours." With one final gesture, he raised his clenched fist and exclaimed: "Hail Scorpio!" o/ "Hail Scorpio!", the other attendants repeated in low-keyed unison. "Hail Scorpio...", Strupar spoke, almost stuttering in fear. Not wanting to lose his composure, he swiftly eliminated the thought of his children. This conclave might be over, but something particular was still in store for him.
Jilderen Posted December 29, 2015 Posted December 29, 2015 To: The Beautiful Empire of Orioni From: The Archduchy of Jilderen  His Imperial Highness the Archduke hereby wishes to congratulate the new Imperial Council of Orioni. May your nation know peace and prosperity.  On behalf of the Archduke, the Imperial Counsellor.
Orioni Posted December 29, 2015 Author Posted December 29, 2015  Two weeks have passed since the coalition of chairlady Pristo won the election. Since then, the imperial council had been hard at work to achieve their project for these first 100 days. Of course, the groundworks for this plan had been prepared long before the election. But it was only just now that they could actually move forward with it. Part of this project was a new meeting of the G7, to outline the Project for the New Europan Century (PNEC). Sir Andrew Pipkin, the experienced Councillor of Foreign Affairs, had already done some outreach to reestablish international relations, first towards Suverina and now again with Jilderen. It was time to get the nations of Adaptus, Emakera and Tagmatium on board as well. While it seemed highly doubtful that Vocenae would join, they would try to involve them nonetheless. To: G7 nations of Europa Noble friends and allies. The time has come for us as G7, the de facto leaders of Europa, to pave the way for human progress. Since our last summit, the outlook for many has changed from neutral to slightly negative. To counter this negative trend, we see two main topics of discussion: §1 a tough stance on security to guaranty our common peace and prosperity; §2 continued alignment of our economic cooperation It is with this intention that we invite you all to the next G7 summit, of which the location is still to be disclosed during a future communication. Signed, Chandra Pristo Chairlady of the Imperial Council The Beautiful Empire of Orioni OOC: G7 includes the currently active nations in Europa, from A-Z: Adaptus, Emakera, Jilderen, Orioni, Suverina, Tagmatium, Vocenae. I know that Ide Jima is still around, be he has not been responding to my telegrams. Neither has Vocenae, for that matter.
Adaptus Posted December 30, 2015 Posted December 30, 2015 Kristopher Kopis sat at his desk, starring, longingly into his phone. "369 New Emails." He whispered to himself. Before placing the phone back onto his desk, and turning to the large windows behind him. The wind outside was relentless. Adpatus was experiencing some bad weather of late. In his office, he was far away from the turbulent weather, and instead, locked in his own turbulent procession. Kristopher had just marked his one year anniversary as Grand Consul. And a tough year it had been. Adaptus although had become isolationist of late, it was not due to outside factors. The nation itself was going through a lot of social change, and Kristopher found himself at the spearhead of that change, somewhat unwillingly. For he had begun his political career back in the days of the old system of Prime Ministers, and hereditary Monarchs. He, by no great intention of his own, found himself carried by his party to a victory in the last election, the first to take place since the establishment of the Grand Consul. Something his predecessor had championed. "Change." He whispered again to himself. That was the message the last Grand Consul carried. And make a change he had. Unfortunately, due to his bad handling of the economy, the last Grand Consul found himself ousted, and Kristopher was in. Now he was finding that his years of political experience was almost for nothing, as everyone was now learning to adapt to the new system. Which made his first year all the more difficult. Suddenly his Secretary was standing above him. Too deep in thought he hadn't noticed her come in. "Mr Kopis?" She leaned in to get his attention. "Oh! I'm sorry. I was miles away." Kristopher replied. "It's fine Mr Kopis. This has just arrived, I think you should see it." She placed the letter on his desk and then made her way out, ad Kristopher's mind drifted to this new arrival. This letter was different. Not stamped with a local or federal seal. It wasn't in Romance. And it's official appearance was unusual to him. It stood out among the usual internal letters which had come to be his daily routine. "Orioni." His eyes widened somewhat. It dawned on him that this was external. He had been so focused on internal politics for the last few years he had lost much hope for international solace. Yet the fires were still there. Most in Adaptus distanced themselves from the international community when things fell silent. The period was being referred to as "The Great Lull" where international relations had all but stalled throughout the region. Could this be the end? "Annabel! Prepare me a letter! An international communique." He shouted through the still open door. The sound of papers and stationary falling to the floor and slight excitement was his reply. To: Chairlady Chandra Pristo Esteemed Chairlady. It is a great pleasure to hear from you. We too in Adaptus feel a similar sentiment. We believe it is long overdue that the nations of this region come together formally once again. We believe the issues you have highlighted are worthy causes for us all to get behind. As such, we would gladly like to accept your invite to this "G7" summit. We would also like to extend our assistance in preparing for this event, should it be needed. Kindest Regards, Kristopher Kopis Grand Consul of The People The Grand Federal Kingdom of Adaptus
Jilderen Posted December 30, 2015 Posted December 30, 2015 "Pretentious b*tch..." the Minister of Unity and Immigration, prof. dr. C. Samhoor, uttered as he read the invitation for the third time. "How does she dare to state that the G7, as she calls it, are the leaders of Europa. The smaller states have full sovereignty." From the entrance to his office, a voice gently spoke. "Is everything alright, Minister?" "Counsellor," he sighed, "I assume you got a copy of this invitation as well?" "Yes, I did. A tad pretentious, I do agree, but it is no reason to use foul language. However, that's beside the point. I am here to discuss the recent ascension of the new Archduchess of Riosna." "Ah, yes, I was waiting for you." Minister Samhoor switched to a different tab on his tablet. This G7-invitation could seriously mess up the plans set in motion for Jilderen. Luckily for him, most other ministers agreed with him. The Archduke, however, was adamant that the nation at least sent delegates to this gathering. For all they knew, good would come of it and there was no reason to worry. If there would be, one could best be present and object than shout from the sidelines. To: Chairlady Chandra Pristo From: the Archduchy of Jilderen Your invitation to join the "G7" has been received by the Archduke. After consulting the Council of Ministers His Royal & Imperial Highness had decided to accept your most gracious offer. We will await further communications so that we can properly prepare outselves for this gathering of nations. On  behalf of the Archduke, the Imperial Counsellor
Suverina Posted December 30, 2015 Posted December 30, 2015 "Well, Comrade Minister, this certainly puts us in a rather awkward position." "I guess we all knew that we'd have to face the whole 'Adaptus situation' sooner or later, Comrade Undersecretary, we just hoped it'd happen on our terms and not be forced upon us. Especially not while possibly putting our future chances of improved relations with the Orionii at risk."  Ana Codrianu, the minister of foreign affairs was sitting behind her big desk, opposite her sat Ion Iordan, the undersecretary of foreign affairs. They were informally discussing the Orionii invitation, which called upon the governments in Europa to assemble in order to discuss peace and security as well as economic cooperation. Even though Suverin foreign policy tended to favour individual agreements, Her Majesty's government wasn't opposed to inter-regional agreements if they could be of benefit to the Great Queendom. While the foreign ministry much would have liked to further inquire what the Orionii intentions were, there was one pressing issue that made Suverin participation in such a conference unthinkable. The issue at hand was of course the complex situation of Adapton-Suverin relations.  "It is rather thoughtless of the Easterners to put us in such a delicate situation, naturally they are much aware of the predicament they are putting us in by inviting us as well as the Adaptons." "Indeed Comrade Undersecretary. I guess scoring a few easy points by extending an open palm to all nations and showing of Orionii benevolence in order to boost their diplomatic reputation across the region seemed more important to the Easterners than appeasing the Great Queendom. I guess it's the more strategic approach, they risk upsetting us, possibly even cancelling our planned conference on Suverin-Orionii cooperation and friendship, but in return they open themselves up to the rest of Europa. Perhaps the Orionii feel that certain other nations are better bets when it comes to forging future friendships and alliances." After she had finished speaking, Minister Codrianu glanced at the wall to her left where a large map of Europa was hung, it looked as if she pondered what the possible geostrategic goals the new Orionii foreign policy had in mind.  Undersecretary Iordan chose not to interupt her thoughts and Codrianu eventually turned back to him and spoke: "Despite this reckless and neglectful behaviour of the Orionii we must tread lightly and play our cards right. We do not wish this incident to cause harm to our intentions vis-à -vis Orioni. The Great Queendom needs friends and allies, we must maintain our current diplomatic efforts to bring Suverina and Orioni closer. I will call the State Committee of Foreign Affairs to hold a meeting as soon as possible so the government can formalize its position on the matter. But one thing is clear, the Great Queendom will not enter into negotiations with a partner regarded as an equal when She has no diplomatic relations nor has even formally yet recognized that nations government." Undersecretary Iordan looked concerned. "But what about Jilderen Comrade Minister? They have already accepted the invitation. Given they know the complex and delicate nature of the Adapton-Suverin relations it's deplorable that they would accept such an invitation without first consulting us, thus openly working against the interests of the Great Queendom." "Ah, yes. Our most dearest and faithful ally. Well, it complicates matter further if we and our ally would appear divided. If we could present a united front our prospects would be brighter. If both Suverina and Jilderen would refuse to attend perhaps the Orionii would feel compelled to persuade the Adaptons to request the re-initiation of formal diplomatic ties between Adaptus and Suverina. Her Majesty's government would gladly accept such a request, them making the request would mean our reputation would remain untarnished and we could hopefully start getting past this AdSoc business. We'll have to contact the Jilders."  Encrypted message TO: The Archduchy of Jilderen FROM: The Great Queendom of Suverina RE: G7 Summit  Loyal friends and most trusted allies,  Given the Jilders government is aware of the nature of the Adapton-Suverin relations we find it concerning that your government has accepted the Orionii invitation to a summit in which Adaptus will partake without first consulting us. As Suverina has no formal relations with Adaptus nor has Her Majesty's government yet formally recognized the Adapton government, the Great Queendom can not under any circumstances partake in a summit where Adaptus will be treated as an equal partner to Suverina.  The Great Queendom finds it disturbing that the Archduchy of Jilderen, Suverina's closest ally, would openly work against the diplomatic interests of the Great Queendom.  We would like to enquire if your acceptance to the invitation is firmly irrevocable. If not, we would likt to open a dialogue in order to resolve this matter together in a way which would be advantageous to both our nations. It would please us ever so much if you would be of assistance in helping us to solve this whole messy affair between Adaptus and Suverina.  Ana Codrianu Her Majesty's Minister of Foreign Affairs  OOC: Telegram for O coming tomorrow, (amongst other activity) this was all I had time for today.
Jilderen Posted December 30, 2015 Posted December 30, 2015 Encrypted message To: the Great Queendom of Suverina From: the Archduchy of Jilderen  Most beloved ally and honoured friend,  His Royal & Imperial Highness was most aware of the complicated nature of the Adapton-Suverin relationship. He, however, feels that there is a greater problem at hand: the audacity of Orionii's assumptions. Surely Her Majesty agrees that one cannot simply state that several nations are the leaders of a whole region, a region that hosts more sovereign territories than the seven invited. The Archduke wishes that his delegates adress that very matter at the proposed meeting.  It is in that very light that the invitation has been accepted, irrevocably. We wish, of course, to consult the Great Queendom in the path that leads up to it. There have only been two topics announced for said meeting, with no further details attached. Our intention was to contact your most gracious nation when a more detailed agenda was presented.  HR&IH wishes to reassure Her Majesty that the bond between our two proud nations is still strong and that we consider the Great Queendom of Suverina our closest and most loved friend. Our status as allies will remain unchanged.  On behalf of the Archduke, the Imperial Counsellor
Adaptus Posted December 30, 2015 Posted December 30, 2015 It was late at night, the wind still as relentless as it was that morning. So much so that you could hear it, even in this large old building. There was a fire in the corner of the room, being kept alight by an attendant. Kristopher was at The Palace. It was a weekly briefing with the King. He was sat in a large comfortable room. Not like an office. It was more like a drawing room. Comfortable and cosy. Alongside him was his deputy, the Deputy Consul, as well as one or two cabinet ministers, or Praetors, to use the new system terminology. They had sat briefing the King on government matters that week. Chiefly of which was some severe flooding what had occurred to the north of the country, due to the bad weather. Kristopher had let his deputy do most of the talking, as well as his Home Praetor. So Kristopher's mind had drifted once again. In the last few weeks, he has seemed more distant than usual, the stress of the job was getting to him slightly. So he was delegating a lot of jobs to lighten the burden. But his mind still often wandered into situations he was facing. The King and his Home Praetor were wrapping up their discussions on the flooding relief efforts when Kristopher drifted his attention back to the people in the room. "Right. Well is there anything to add?" The King looked to Kristopher, and then to the other ministers. The others shook their heads. While Kristopher leaned in further. "There is one other thing Leo." He shuffled himself to get more into the conversation. The King didn't reply. Instead, he lifted his head slightly with an expression of curiosity. "We received a communique from the Beautiful Empire of Orioni. They requested our presence at what they are called a 'G7 Summit'. It's essentially a meeting for the seven 'de facto leaders' of Europa. I discussed it at length with [Praetor for Foreign Affairs] Cyril. We agreed to a reply and sent it. Here is the reply, and the original letter." Kristopher handed over a small dossier containing the communications. "You'll also find our notes and minutes from mine and Cyril's discussion on the matter of reference. We decided to accept the invitation. It's an unusual turn of events given the state of things in recent years, but it's, I felt, an opportunity we couldn't miss. Cyril agreed. So we sent the reply." The other ministers in the room weren't aware of the letter so were a little stunned. The King also was a little taken aback. "Some strange invitees on that list. But I must admit the state of the region alludes me somewhat." The King replied. "Although I do agree with attending. Do we have much information regarding the other nations on the list? One name is looming me in the face I have to admit." "We have little information. We pulled most of our ambassadors and diplomats home when the 'Lull' began, and closed all of our embassies, save for one in the Holy Empire. And even there our ambassador spends 6 months of the year here in Novumcastrum. The information we do have comes from military and civil intelligence. And the key thing here is that the Queendom still maintains a close relationship with The Grand Duchy... Sorry Archduchy of Jilderen." The King quickly interjected. "Arch-duchy? Wha.." "Yes." Kristopher shrugged. "I sent an email earlier with the information regarding that. I'm not sure if you got that or not, it was fairly late, just before we came here. Anyways. We have no gripe with the Archduchy. However, we all know history. And the worry is that should the GHE not attend, it could mean we are squarely alone. And depending on the closeness of the ties between the two countries, we could be up against it." "And have we heard anything from the GHE?." King Jovian wasn't holding his breath. "No. Not directly at least. There is no indication. The general consensus is, they may miss it. That's all we have. Despite that. I do think that the advantages outweigh the possibility of being alone." Kristopher lent back in his chair a bit to let the King take in the information. "Right. I agree. So who will be going?" "I'll go. I'll take Cyril too. As well as a few advisers. Maybe an intelligence analyst for safe measure. But nothing over the top. I've still yet to finalise all of that at this point." "Fair enough." The King looked satisfied. "I supposed that it then?" "That's everything." Replied Kristopher. "Then we shall call it a night then. Keep me up to date with the Orioni business, as well as the floods Kris." The King then stood, as the others followed suit. The nodded to one another, and then the King made his way out of the room. The news went down well. But new Kristopher had a whole new set of things to concentrate on. On his way out of The Palace, he sent an Email to several of his other cabinet ministers. "Subject: New Delegation Duties." He murmured, while slightly struggling to walk and type on his phone at once. Finally, looking up, he was at the steps to the rear entrance of The Palace, and his car was waiting. Despite the workload of the evening, he noted that the wind had died down. "Huh?" he remarked while stepping into his car, the chauffeur closing the door behind him.
Suverina Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 Encrypted message TO: The Beautiful Empire of Orioni FROM: the Great Queendom of Suverina RE: G7 summit  Dear friends,  Surely the Beautiful Empire is highly aware of the current state of relations between Adaptus and Suverina.  As Adaptus and Suverina has no official diplomatic relations nor has Her Majesty's government yet formally recognized the new Adapton government. Therefore it would be unthinkable for Suverina to partake in a summit where Adaptus will be treated as an equal partner.  Thus, by inviting Suverina as well as Adaptus to the summit, such a deplorable act, on the verge of disdainful, is an affront to the Great Queendom of Suverina.  It is our sincerest desire that similar actions will not be repeated. Her Majesty's government is much keen on improving Suverin-Orionii bonds of friendship and we will not consider this incident a strain on our two nations friendship.  It is Her Majesty's government sincere desire to re-establish diplomatic ties with Adaptus. But as you are aware, the Adpton-Suverin situation is rather complex as a result of the AdSoc crisis and following civil war. Should the Great Queendom take initiative to request to re-instate formal diplomatic ties it would be viewed by the nations of Europa as Suverina admitting Her actions during the crisis were reprehensible. We however firmly stand by that our attempts, albeit to some extent unorthodox, to resolve the matter diplomatically before resorting to a military resolution, was the sound and proper approach.  Until Adaptus requests to re-establish diplomatic ties between Adaptus and Suverina, we can not attend a summit with Adaptus present, unless they merely participate with status as observer and not as an equal partner to Suverina.  Should you wish to go ahead with this summit and have the Great Queendom represented it would fall upon you to act as mediator between Adaptus and Suverina and resolve our diplomatic issues beforehand.  We would aslo like to enquire more specifically what you wish to achieve with this summit.  Ana Codrianu Her Majesty's Minister of Foreign Affairs
Suverina Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) Encrypted message To: The Archduchy of Jilderen From: The Great Queendom of Suverina  Dearest allies and highly esteemed friends,  Would it not, for the sake of both our nations' interests, be more advantageous if we, as allies, presented a united front?  We feel as by accepting the Orionii invitation you de facto condone the idea of a summit including the "leaders" of Europa instead of a pan-Europan summit. By de facto conding the summit by attending and at the same time condemning/opposing it, it may risk to appear that the Jilders words are merely lip-service and hypocrisy.  If you feel unconditional attendance still is the best way forward for Jilderen, Her Majesty's government does not approve, but we will respect your decision.  We anticipate that you will have a continious and close dialogue with us on all things regarding this conference.  Should Jilderen attend this summit and some sort of protocol or agreement is brokered we expect that you will not ratify it before consulting with us.  We feel it may be of use to you to know of our correspondence with The Beautiful Empire of Orioni and we will therefore attach our latest message.  We are very glad that the Archduchy strongly reaffirms the great friendship between our two nations. May the Suverin-Jilders friendship last a thousand years!  Attachment  Ana Codrianu Her Majesty's Minister of Foreign Affairs Edited January 5, 2016 by Suverina (see edit history)
Jilderen Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 ENCRYPTED MESSAGE To: the Great Queendom of Suverina From: the Archduchy of Jilderen  Dearest friend and ally,  It indeed would be most beneficial to represent a united front at this meeting. Though, as we have stated before, we will present it is unsure as how our nation will be represented. If the issues to be discussed truly desire it, members of the government will be sent to attend; if the issues are less demanding, a less formal representation might suffice.  As for the attendance to a G7 instead denying the invitation and pushing for a pan-Europa summit, His Imperial Highness does not agree with the fact that it might give the impression of hypocrisy. It is all too easy to shout from the sideline how things should be done, but sometimes you have play a part in the game in order to change it from within. Perhaps we can organize a pan-Europa convention in the (near) future?  Given the complex histories of all nations are invited, it would be very unwise to ratify anything at all without properly consulting all parties it affects. As most trusted allies, the Great Queendom is the first we shall consult in any matter that goes beyond our internal politics.  On behalf of the Archduke, the Imperial Counsellor
Orioni Posted January 14, 2016 Author Posted January 14, 2016 One cold winter night, in the imperial palace...  "What on Earth!? How is this even possible?" gasped the Empress. "A political murder during my reign. What are we: one of the leading nations of Europa, or some foolish copy of Emakera in their unstable seventies?"  "Yes, your grace, it is true," confirmed sir Pipkin. "He is dead."  Furious, the Empress exclaimed: "Well there goes our hard-earned political reputation as a shining beacon of democracy within Europa, sailing right out the window."  "Oh now your majesty, describing it like that might be a little bit of an exaggeration," the councillor replied calmly.  "I think not," she firmly barked in his general direction. "Police better get cracking on this, or we might risk losing our reputation for swift justice as well. And you better get that conference together as well. Because from I have read so far, we are struggling to even receive an answer from half the invitees. You don't mean to tell me we have lost contact with Emakera, Tagmatium and Vocenae, do you?"  Pipkin wisely retired after formulating a thousand apologies. He knew better to argue with the Empress during this time of the month...   TO: Kristopher Kopis, Grand Consul of The People of Adaptus FROM: Pipkin, Foreign Affairs, Orioni  We are pleased and most honoured that you would accept our invitation. We look forward to your cooperative spirit in bringing together the leaders of Europa.  In lieu of your offer to assist us with the preparation of this event, we would be most pleased to hear your opinion on hosting the 2nd edition of this conference, be it in the form of G7 or G4.  With greetings and salutations, Sir Andrew Pipkin Councillor of Foreign Affairs The Beautiful Empire of Orioni  TO: Imperial Counsellor, Archduchy of Jilderen FROM: Pipkin, Foreign Affairs, Orioni  Thank you kindly for your timely acceptance. The open and forward-looking spirit of the Jilderese government is a true token of the grand-duchy's greatness. For all practical matters, we will communicate an overall update shortly.  Cordially, Sir Andrew Pipkin Councillor of Foreign Affairs The Beautiful Empire of Orioni  ENCRYPTED MESSAGE TO: Ana Codrianu, Ministery of Foreign Affairs, Great Queendom of Suverina FROM: Pipkin, Foreign Affairs, Orioni  Honoured friends,  Thank you for your clear reexplication of your government's position regarding the Grand Federal Kingdom of Adaptus and our G7 conference invitation. As such we understand your position.  Would it be possible to Orioni to rebuild a bridge to defuse the current stalemate and AdSoc crisis? Does your government see a role for us as peace broker between your two states?  Viewing the topics of this conference pertain to both security as well as economic cooperation, it would surely be a positive sign if Suverina were to participate, in the spirit of peaceful negotiation and as a sign of forward-looking cooperation.  Cordially and with well wishes, Sir Andrew Pipkin Councillor of Foreign Affairs The Beautiful Empire of Orioni
Jilderen Posted January 14, 2016 Posted January 14, 2016 To: the Beautiful Empire of Orioni From: the Archduchy of Jilderen  It is with sadness that We have learnt of the death of former chairman Iosef Strupar. On behalf of all our people, I wish to convey our deepest sympathy for this loss. We trust whomever is responsible will be brought to swift justice.  Signed, The Archduke.
Suverina Posted January 18, 2016 Posted January 18, 2016 (edited) TO: The Beautiful Empire of Orioni FROM: The Great Queendom of Suverina  Her Majesty's Government of the Great Queendom of Suverina wishes to extend its condolences to the Government and people of the Beautiful Empire of Orioni, on the death of former Chairman Iosef Strupar. /Reference   ENCRYPTED MESSAGE TO: The Beautiful Empire of Orioni FROM: The Great Queendom of Suverina  Esteemed friends,  Should you want Suverina to participate in this conference formal diplomatic relations must be re-established with Adaptus beforehand. We would be very greatful if the Beautiful Empire would be of assistance in solving the matter. However, it must be stressed, the issue must be handled in a most delicate manner. It must remain unknown that Suverina took formal initiative to resolve the matter. We would wish you to nudge the Adaptons in the right direction.  We would suggest you tell Adaptus that Suverina can't partake in summit when Suverina and one of the participating nations have no diplomatic ties and Suverina has therefore not yet formally recognized the current government. During such circumstances any agreements brokered with Adaptus as an equal partner could not be ratified by Her Majesty's government due to it would be regarded as null and void as Adaptus would be regarded as an unlawful signatory, and thus be regarded as an illicit agreement in the eyes of Her Majesty's judicial system.  You could then declare that the Beautiful Empire however, has a probable solution. The Beautiful Empire could relay that informal sources from within the Great Queendom's government have made several hints that Suverina would open-heartedly accept a request from the Adaptons to re-instate formal diplomatic relations. You could further inform them that hints have also been made about if Adaptus would take the initiative to reach out to Suverina, HM's government would in gratitude be willing, as an act of courtesy, to reach an agreement, very soon, regarding fair monetary compensation for all Adapton assets in Suverina that were seized and nationalized by Her Majesty's government. The informal sources in HM's government have expressed belief that such a path would re-establish formal Adapton-Suverin diplomatic ties as well as help to normalize relations, laying the foundation for a new bridge where the former was once burned.  Regarding the summit, as we have learnt of the death of former chairman Iosef Strupar, we are worried that his death might be a sign of instability brewing within the Beautiful Empire. Would you care to share your assesment and prognosis? Should the Adaptus matter be solved and Suverina should attend, we'd believe it to be in all participants interests to be certain that some sort of crisis isn't rapidly developing within the borders of the hosting nation. Cordially accept the assurances of my highest consideration,  Ana Codrianu Her Majesty's Minister of Foreign Affairs Edited January 18, 2016 by Suverina (see edit history)
Orioni Posted January 21, 2016 Author Posted January 21, 2016 (edited) TO: Jilderen, Suverina FROM: Orioni  Thank you sincerely for your kind words of sympathy. We will pass them on to the family of mr. Strupar. They will surely find solace in knowing how much their husband and father will be missed.  Sir Pipkin felt troubled by the reply he had just sent regarding the murder of the late chairman Strupar. He felt an internal conflict between his expected public and private internal feelings. Even though he was opposed any form of violence in the democratic debate, he was also well aware of the way Strupar had wielded power during his time in office. And it wasn't a pretty picture. Nepotism and bribery were rampant, not to mention suspicions of an attempted coup against the Empress.  As for the ongoing police investigation, the latest law enforcement update from the councillor of Justice had turned up no new evidence so far. The leading hypothesis remained a political vendeta from within the criminal circles of eastern Orioni. His hope lied with the deeper investigation by the special office of 'Spioni', led by director Sharlock Halmis. Surely, if anyone could get to the bottom of this, it would be Halmis.  Anyway, right now he couldn't be bothered with Strupar for too long. There were more important matters at hand. His aides had just forwarded the final G7 invitation, approved by the office of Chairlady Pristo, and he was eager to move ahead with this project. Since his last encounter with the Empress, tensions had calmed down, but the pressure was still on.  TO: G7 nations of Europa  Noble friends and allies. We are honoured to welcome those who so graciously responded to our invitation, and look forward to a discussion in person about the future of Europa. Attached you will find the topics of discussion, as well as the necessary practical information for your delegation.  The event will be held from Friday 29th to Sunday 31st of January. There will be two locations, both in central Orioni, with O'polis hosting the state dinner, and Zuidhaven as main location for the summit.  Friday, 29th of January 12:00h. Arrival at O'polis International Airport (OPL) where you will be greated by dr. Chandra Pristo (Chairlady) and Sir Andrew Pipkin (Foreign Affairs). 13:00h. Transfer to your hotels or embassies in O'polis. 16:00h. In the afternoon there will be ample time to meet each other, during a guided tour of the capital. 20:00h. Invitation to the Imperial Palace for a state dinner with the Empress.  Imperial Palace of Orioni  Saturday, 30th of January 10:00h. Transfer to Zuidhaven by bullet train. 12:00h. Lunch in the new Lovra museum and conference center. 14:00h. Day 1 of the summit, with focus on the security of Europa, led by councillors Sir Andrew Pipkin (Foreign Affairs) and Prince Toren NabÊrrie of Orioni (Defence). They will outline and discuss their Project for the New Europan Century (PNEC).  Lovra museum  Sunday, 31st of January 10:00h. Day 2 of the summit, with focus on trade and economic cooperation, led by councillors Sir Hiram Hiramson (Economy), Prof. Elisa Solna (Energy) and Countess Elisabeth of Hakushaku (Trade & Transportation). 18:00h. Closing ceremony.  Signed, Chandra Pristo Chairlady of the Imperial Council The Beautiful Empire of Orioni Edited February 1, 2016 by orioni (see edit history)
Jilderen Posted January 23, 2016 Posted January 23, 2016 "So, it's a two day summit," the Minister of Imperial Affairs mumbled to himself. Prof. dr. Samhoor nodded. "So it seems, Your Excellency. Two topics which should be adress most carefully." "Indeed. My main point of concern is in what direction the security meeting will go. No doubt they'll be hamering on sharing intel." "There are worse things to do, Your Excellency" the Imperial Counsellor remarked, "for, from the point of view of security, knowledge is power too. However, and I need not remind you all, dear ministers and state-secretaries, that Jilderen is a nation where privacy is already a delicate issue. Sharing data about our citizens is something the Archduke will not approve of if it is not within very, very clear limits." "No doubt about that, Counsellor. If we wish to preserve our union, one we fought for so hard for in the past years, we must keep the trust of the people."  All present coult not but agree to this. Jilderen's relative silence for the past years had been for good reason. Before giving off any official responce to this message, or even fully deciding on who to send, another message was to be send first. One to their one, true ally.  ENCRYPTED MESSAGE To: the Great Queendom of Suverina From: the Archduchy of Jilderen  Most esteemed ally, dearest friend,  No doubt Her Majesty the Queen has received the initial agenda for the G7-summit as well. We wish not to make any hasty conclusions about as to what delegation we will send, hence this message with a deceivingly simple question: What is the response of Suverina? A common line, a sign of true allies, would be most advantagous to present during this summit. Our ministers have agreed upon some points, mostly regarding the strict rights to privacy of our people that needs to be preserved, but we too wish to consult with you on this and other matters before the summit. Other messages will follow.  On behalf of the Archduke, the Imperial Counsellor
Suverina Posted January 23, 2016 Posted January 23, 2016 "Diplomacy can be rather amusing sometimes." Comrade minister Codrianu said to her personal secretary while looking down at her tablet. The secretary looked up and raised her eyebrows. Codrianu then looked up, with a peculiar smile on her face, and made eye contact with her secretary before she continued: "Sometimes it's just a ridicolous charade. The Orionii former Chairman is murdered, we feel no sorrow or sympathy what so ever, but we care about our relations with Orioni, so we send a message expressing our condelances written like it's straight from a beginner's textbook for diplomats. But still they naturally express their gratitude for our not so sincere condolences, even expressing his family will feel comfort from our words. Surely any person with basic knowledge of Europan politics knows how much Suverina resented Mr Strupar and his government's isolationist policy and how they basically ignored all our diplomatic advances. It's just a grand farce at times! Any great diplomat is a great actor, such absurd ridiculous things we must say at times and do so while appearing dead serious. Diplomacy! Ah, It's a grand game to play, ain't it Comrade? Codrianu looked down on her tablet again, the question had obviously just been a rethorical one.  ENCRYPTED MESSAGE To: The Archduchy of Jilderen From: The Great Queendom of Suverina  Most venerated ally, cherished friends,  We will attach a copy of our latest encrypted correspendence with Orioni. This of course, is highly classified and confidential information.  We are somewhat suspicious of the Orionii intentions. They still have not presented us with a draft for the summit's agenda. What do they expect to accomplish by this summit? Surely they don't expect us to brainstorm from scratch. How can we formalize our positions on matters when we do not know beforehand what matters we are to take positions on? It seems as if as what the Orionii have in mind is a friendly dinner party with polite discussions between the representatives of the "G7" rather than a serious summit. It seems as if they wish to achieve nothing, at least no more than collecting diplomatic goodwills for the new government.  Or, they have a hidden agenda. While giving us as little information as possible the Orionii can steer the discussions in any way they want, and could therefore easily, while sitting on their high horse, denigrate the other participants for being uncooperative should they not agree with the directions in which the discussions will be steered. They could be trying to push an agenda on to the rest of Europa.  Orioni may very well have the best of intentions in mind, but the whole affair does seem a bit suspicious and shoddy, considering the information we currently have at hand. Or perhaps rather, the information we don't currently have at hand.  Suverina, as you are aware, is still standing by regarding the matter of attending.  Our recommendation to the Jilder government would be that you prepare a minor delegation lead by an undersecretary/deputy minister and try keep a low profile regarding the summit. This could however be subject to change should the Orionii clarify their intentions regarding the summit. Be flexible. We would assume the Orionii would wish for Jilderen to send for the Archduke accompanied by a high ranking government official as leaders of the delegation, but given how little we know of the Easterner's intentions such representation would be inadvisable.  Her Majesty's government is so far relieved not to yet have formally replied to the invite as we currently are rather unsure if attending the summit would be advantageous at all. At the moment the risk of playing into an Orionii scheme seem to outweigh and possible advantages. Accept the assurances of my highest consideration,  Ana Codrianu Her Majesty's Minister of Foreign Affairs  Attachment  Â
Jilderen Posted January 23, 2016 Posted January 23, 2016 ENCRYPTED MESSAGE To: the Great Queendom of Suverina From: the Archduchy of Jilderen  Most respected ally, treasured friend,  Our thanks for sharing this information with us. Rest assured that we see any communication between our two fair nations as highly private and will treat it with the utmost security.  All we have to work with for now is, indeed, a rather simple set-up for the G7-summit. I expect them to come up with a more detailed agenda, for if all this is merely for a brainstorm session, it seems rather pretentious. We have already stated before that this sudden declaration of a G7 fails to take into account the many nation Orioni excluded, seemingly with an eye only for the financial gain they hope to gain out of this. It only makes us more wary of it all.  You suggest that Orioni might desire the Archduke to participate, but - as you well know - He only leaves the country to visit highly trusted friends. Given the current state of affairs, your beautiful nation is one of very few He will visit. The Joint Councils are preparing two different delegations, with varying levels of officials. Unless things change, we indeed will send out a minor delegation.  If any updates will reach us, we will share these with you.  On behalf of the Archduke, the Imperial Counsellor  The Imperial Counsellor shook his head gently as this message was sent. All this work with foreigners as of late had drawn away attention from the more serious plans that were unfolding. With the recent peace that was restored within Jilderen, people still lived on the edge after all what happened.  The voice of a young woman suddendly sounded: "Counsellor..?" "Yes..?" "Sorry to disturb you, but the Full Admiral is here." "Let her in. Oh, and please get me a big glass of chocolate milk." Briefly she laughed. "I'll get your favourite, sir."  A few moments the Full Admiral, petite woman of Indian origin, walked in with head held high. The Counsellor too got up, his tall posture made her look only smaller. He held his hand out to greet her, she shook it firmly.  "Counsellor, a pleasure to see you once again." "Full Admiral Chowdhury, the pleasure is all mine. Please, sit down. I trust my secretary asked if you wanted something to drink?" She sat down, taking her bicorne from underneath her arm and placing it on the table infront of her. "She has. I am here to report that the LC-3 Battle Group has entered international waters. In a few days, they will reach their destination, sir." "Good. Let's hope this will not harm our reputation too much. Let's go over the plans once more, just to be sure the Archduke knows what he's doing."
Orioni Posted January 28, 2016 Author Posted January 28, 2016 ENCRYPTED MESSAGE TO: Kristopher Kopis, Grand Consul of The People of Adaptus FROM: Sir Andrew Pipkin, Foreign Affairs, Orioni DATE: Tuesday, 26th of January 2016  In our open invite, we requested the participation of the nation of Suverina during this G7 summit.  As I'm sure you are aware, there are no formal relations between Great Adaptus and Suverina, since Suverina has not yet formally recognized your current government.  However, we have received information from informal sources within Suverina that their government could be on the verge of accepting an Adapton request to re-instate formal diplomatic relations. If Great Adaptus were to take the initiative in this outreach, we strongly feel that the time is right for bridging the gap that exists between your two nations. Furthermore, our informal sources believe the Suverin government would be willing to compensate for all Adapton assets that were seized and nationalized.  If this proposal finds your interest, we could mediate and backchannel during day 1 of the G7 summit. (OOC: see agenda) There is ample time between your arrival and the state dinner. Our Imperial Council is offering negotiating rooms inside the imperial palace.  With greetings and salutations, Sir Andrew Pipkin Councillor of Foreign Affairs The Beautiful Empire of Orioni  ENCRYPTED MESSAGE TO: Ana Codrianu, Foreign Affairs, Suverina FROM: Sir Andrew Pipkin, Foreign Affairs, Orioni DATE: Wednesday, 27th of January 2016  Dear minister Codrianu. Thank you for being so open-minded and willing to put the differences between Suverina and Adaptus behind you. We have understood your proposed solution, and I have since relayed an informal adaptation of your message to grand consul Kopis of Adaptus. It is our hope and wish that you will still be able to attend.  With greetings and salutations, Sir Andrew Pipkin Councillor of Foreign Affairs The Beautiful Empire of Orioni  Sir Pipkin leaned back in his black leather chair. The worn but still soft fabric made a slight crackling noise. Hands behind his head eyes closed, he hypothesised the impact of what he had just done. Imagining a potential defusing of the Suverin-Adapton rivalry was something he hadn't dared to dream of. Unacustomed to getting his hopes up for vague potential, he was still tempted to envision a region where the Occident was united in their efforts. What a world that could be.  His excitement vanished in an instant when another realisation entered his mind. "For Oris sake! If we do in fact manage to broker a deal between the Adapton Empire and Suverin Queendom during that first day of our summit, I will have to re-do the entire presentation Prince Toren and I prepared for second day. And Toren's temper is even worse than his sister's!"  Looking through the open door of his wood-panneled office, he could see his loyal secretary Lou Todd putting on his coat to go home. "Lou, old chum, I'm afraid we may have hit a snag here. You better get on the phone and call our senior staff back in. And tell Angela at catering to order some spiedini from that place nearby, Renzu's. This is going to take a while..."   TO: G7 nations of Europa  Noble friends and allies. We received your staff's questions regarding practical matters and have responded in kind with the applicable answer. We look forward to welcoming you all, tomorrow at O'polis Internional Airport.  Signed, Chandra Pristo Chairlady of the Imperial Council The Beautiful Empire of Orioni
Suverina Posted January 29, 2016 Posted January 29, 2016 (edited) Â The flight to Orioni was a long one, even when flying with a supersonic jet. Ana Codrianu, Her Majesty's Minister of Foreign Affairs, was sitting on her seat in the modern supersonic jet, designed and manufactured by the aviation section of the government owned defence industry conglomerate LADA. She was the leader of the Suverin delegation sent to attend the so called "G7 Summit" hosted in, and organized by, Orioni. The State Committee for Foreign Relations, a central government body within the government of the Great Queendom which is tasked with acting on an inter-ministry and -agency level concerning matters of foreign relations, had not wanted Codrianu to lead the delegation, in the case a delegation was to be sent at all. Instead they had wanted the Prime Minister or his Deputy to lead the delegation, a few had even implied that it would've been best if Codrianu stayed in Suverina and instead supervised communication between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the delegation. Having her stay in Suverina was ridiculous to suggest, or even imply, she knew it had been a power move by those opposed to her. She knew she wasn't very popular with "the old fossils", as she called the leaders of the Committee. The leaders of the committee werenât the only ones oppsing her however, she also faced some serious opposition from the regular members of the Committee. But she had her fair share of supporters as well, especially those from her own Ministry. Â She was 43, a young, strong, ambitious, female risning star. The elderly men heading the State Committee had been much opposed to the appointing of her as Minister of Foreign Affairs, but their opposition had been in vain. Codrianu did not only have powerful friends within the Party, she had also won the favour of Queen Eva, much to her oppositionâs dismay. After the Committee discussion it was clear there wasnât a majority in favour of Codrianu leading the delegation. But two hours before the matter was to be put to vote news arrived from the Royal Palace, the Queen had expressed that Codrianu was to lead the delegation and that she was to be the most senior member of government amongst the delegates. When the matter was put to vote before the State Committee for Foreign Relations; 72 voted in favour, 12 against and 15 abstained and thus Codrianu was elected delegation leader. When it comes to foreign representation the Queenâs opinion often weighs rather heavy. Â Due to the length of the flight the members of the delegation had been advised to get some sleep on the aeroplane, despite the fact that three of the invited seven nations were in the Occident the Orionii hadnât taken into consideration when planning the summit that several of the delegations would have to start their flight to Orioni at night before Friday in order to reach Oâpolis at noon Friday. But not having the delegations arrive on Thursday evening and starting after lunch on Friday instead of the current plan, was only one amongst several things the Orionii had done regarding this summit to severely annoy Her Majestyâs government. Â The Suverin government had made it clear that it wouldnât send a delegation unless the Adaptus matter was settled beforehand. A demand the Orionii had neglected to fulfill, which had deeply frustrated the Suverin government. At the very last moment the Orionii had put forward a slapdash comprimise, suggesting that the Suverin and Adapton be given time to meet during the first day. The fact that the Orionii hadnât cared to share what response they had received from the Adaptons had caused much dismay. The Great Queendomâs intelligence sources relayed there is indication the Adaptons are willing to take the bait, but an indication is far from certainty. As a sign of goodwill Suverina made a last minute decision to attend, despite the risk of humiliation and an early departure. Â Had Suverin Foreign Policy not been so firmly set on improving relations with the Beautiful Empire the numerous faux pas made by the Orionii would have badly damaged Suverin-Orionii relations. In the end, the Suverin government had bent over backwards to appease the Orionii. It was somewhat humiliating, but if the Orionii compromise about the Adaptus affair would work out, everything would be likely to be a great success. If everything goes according to plan, Suverin-Orionii relations should be most cordial and the level and willingness of Suverin cooperation would be expected to be returned by the Beautiful Empire and formal diplomatic relations with Adaptus would be restored. Â But Codrianu was anxious, anxious that everything wouldnât go according to plan. If the meeting with Adaptus failed the Suverin delegation would return home and she would have no choice but to resign. She tried to focus her thoughts on how itâd be if the talks succeeded, how sheâd be the hero to have finally solved the pressing Adaptus matter and also how Queen Eva would join the delegation on the second day. Her Majesty, with her glamour and charisma would shine like the brightest star and her magic drive would cast a bit of royal charm and sensation upon the entire Suverin delegation. But despite being given sleeping pills Codrianu had only managed to get two hours of sleep on the plane, so her tired brain once again slipped back into those anxious thoughts about failure. Â Ion Iordan, the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs was sitting next to her. He leaned towards her and said: Comrade Minister, are you excited about finally meeting Mr Universe in person? Codrianu was busy with her thoughts and didn't really hear: Huh? Mr Universe, are you excited to finally meet him? For a moment all the anxious thoughts left her mind and she let out a charming and heartwarming laughter. Stefan Marecal, another member of the delegation, was walking by them in the aisle and overheard what the Undersecretary said, he stopped and said looking puzzled: Who's Mr Universe? Codrianu was still smiling. Mr Universe! Haven't you heard? That's the nickname for Sir Andrew Pipkin! He's great at his job... This is terribly unprofessional... But: He must be the ugliest minister in all of Europa! He's so ugly it's actually ridiculous! She then turned, smiling, to Iordan: Ion, show Comrade Marecal a picture of Mr Universe on your tablet! Iordan quickly opened up a picture of Sir Pipkin on his tablet and showed it: The three of them burst out in laughter. Edited January 29, 2016 by Suverina (see edit history)
Jilderen Posted January 29, 2016 Posted January 29, 2016 (edited) Aircraft type used for diplomatic missions  High above the clouds, cruising at a comfortable 816 km/m, the aeroplane carrying the delegation for the G7 made steady progress to O'polis, with a short stop in Miiros planned to refuel. The blended body/wing design allowed for great comfort and a spacious setup of the interior. Of all the passengers, two were by far the most important. First was the newly appointed Minister of Trade, baroness Yoga Mahaveda, whom had taken along mister Nithin Pandita, a state secretary from the Ministry of Finance; Secondly was the Imperial Counsellor himself, Daksari Sanatana, 9th Prince of Markenland, with his faithful secretary nearby as always.   "Unbelievable, that woman," he smiled as he looked at Yoga. "She falls asleep as soon as she has to opportunity. I wish I could do that."  Shaking his head, Nithin flicked through the document on his tablet. Even now, when he should be sleeping, he kept on working. Every law discussed in parliament, he read up on; every debate held, he read the summary, and; every day he read a report on national security. Now, during the Imperial Counsellor's few days of absence, the President of the Surpreme Court would observe his tasks.  "Sir?" the young woman sitting across from him asked with a careful voice. Without looking up, Nithin answered: "Yes..?" "In O'polis, how long will it be before the plesantries will be over and actual work must start?" "What do you think I'm doing?" he said as he pointed at his tabled. "Playing JewelBe'ed? No, work never stops if you're in my position." A playful smile appeared on the woman's face. "All work and no play." "You just make sure you do yours, special agent." "I will." Edited January 29, 2016 by Jilderen (see edit history)
Suverina Posted January 30, 2016 Posted January 30, 2016 (edited) The Suverin delegation consisted of 12 members. 7 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Minister, the Undersecretary and 4 Deputy Undersecretaries. The 6 of them were all part of the 21 member Collegium of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is the inner policy making group of the Ministry and in many ways functioning as a collective ledership. The Ministry consists of 14 departments, all with their own chairman, each chairman is given a place in the Collegium and the (mostly) honorary title of Deputy Undersecretary. The 7th delegate from the MFA was Minister Codrianu's peronal secretary. Â The Ministry of Defence had 2 delegates, one male Brigadier General whose role within the Ministry had the vague title of 'expert advisor', along with him was his adjutant, a major, also a male. Codrianu had prior to the journey asked some of her colleagues if they should have a betting pool on whether the Ministry of Defence would send a man or a woman as their senior representative. The joke had been well recieved. While female officers and soldiers were held in very high regard within the military, when it came to representing the Ministry of Defence in very important affairs, inequality prevailed, and a man was with barely no exceptions chosen to lead the representation. Minister Codrianu was certain that the General was working for the military intelligence agency, the Ministry of Defence was only rarely keen to trust any sources but their own. Â The Ministry of Trade had 2 delegates as well, the Undersecretary and the First Deputy Undersecretary. First Deputy Undersecretary was a 'real' title and position, not like the more honorary title of Deputy Undersecretary. Formally though, the chairmen of the ministries' departments are 4th in rank within the ministries. Â The 12th member of the delegation was the only one not from a ministry. She was a part of the Queen's personal staff, titled 'Advisor on matters of Foreign Trade and Relations of Her Majesty's Staff'. The ministers and other members of government were tasked with providing Her Majesty with necessary advice on a regular basis, but the Queen has a group of personal advisors within her staff to give her day-to-day advice on important matters. Â Minister Codrianu figured that there had to be one of the delegates that would be reporting to the national intelligence agency, she guessed it was someone from her own ministry. As the two intelligence agencies only shared as little information as needed between them, it would be natural if both had their sources within the delegation. Codrianu didn't care who relayed the informal intel to the national intelligence agency, as they were always loyal to the crown and government, the military intelligence agency on the other hand, were first and foremost loyal to the Military and the Ministry of Defence. Edited January 30, 2016 by Suverina (see edit history)
Orioni Posted January 30, 2016 Author Posted January 30, 2016 [OOC: I am removing the specific dates for the event. This way, the three days can be stretched over a longer period, and we all have more time to respond. A new day starts when I post it. I have foreseen some open spaces in my story for you all to use to your advantage. Also, I will probably edit this post a few times to add Photoshopped images and such. But the main story stays the same.] 12:00h â It was a pleasant day in Oâpolis, with temperatures reaching 20 °C (60 °F), quite normal temperatures for this time of the year, late January. The welcoming committee consisted of Dr. Chandra Pristo, Chairlady of the Imperial Council, and Sir Andrew Pipkin, councillor of Foreign Affairs. Both watched the sky above, a hand raised to shield their eyes from the sun, watching this high-tech LADA aircraft approach. âWhy donât we have modern aircraft like that,â Sir Pipkin asked. âIt would really help the diplomatic staff as well as myself travel faster all around Europa. Iâm pretty sure it needs a lot less refuelling stops than the standard jets we are using right now. An upgrade could really save us a lot of time.â Shrugging, Pristo replied: âFeel free to take up that discussion with our aerotech-industry. You know just as well as I do the underdeveloped state our air force is in. And I doubt a high-tech glider like that would really help you, what with you being in that wheelchair and all. Good luck with that.â Pipkin frowned with discontent. If this summit went well, perhaps he would be allowed to purchase a foreign jet from Suverina. Both looked on as the elegant plane touched down on the tarmac and taxied towards their private gate. Next to land would be the delegation from Jilderen, arriving in yet another high-tech marvel. Pristo turned to Pipkin, shaking her head from left to right, already knowing what he was about to ask; the answer would be no. Once everyone had disembarked their diplomatic aircraft, the Suverin and Jilder delegations shared a warm and friendly greeting, before asking for a room to discuss some private matters. [RP possibility for Suverina & Jilderen talks] Last to arrive would be the Adaptons and their grand consul, Kristopher Kopis. [Note to self: edit this if Adaptus sends someone else.] Their nation was the most northern and thus furthest away from Orioni. Chairlady Pristo had made arrangement to direct their aircraft towards another gate a little further down, as not to raise tensions. The Adapton and Suverin delegates werenât to meet just yet. Later today, there would be plenty of time for them to talk. The Oâpolis International Airport was not a suitable location for delicate diplomatic matters such as these. 13:00h. â With all delegations having arrived, a motorcade of grey vehicles drove from the airport towards the old area of the imperial capital, the government part of town, filled with offices and embassies. [insert picture of downtown Oâpolis, file â1397119508_viza-v-italiyu.psdâ on laptop] It seemed only fair to let the delegates stay at their respective embassies, allowing them a moment to relax and recover after their long flights. The planning committee was well aware of the time difference, and had made sure to continue the day with some light touring in the late afternoon. It would be probably be best if, next time around, another nation would step up and offer to discuss the future of Europa. Quite a few Orioni officials thought it would be a positive sign if one of the western occidental nations decided to look past their own little subcontinent. 16:00h. â Government handlers had been texting frantically to discuss the mood of both Adapton and Suverin delegations, in preparation of their yet unplanned but potential break-through talks. During the afternoon guided tour of the historic part of town, they visited the national museum, home of the empireâs priceless national treasures. It was evident there was already some chatter going on, since both Codrianu and Kopis seemed to lag behind the other delegates, in what from a distance seemed to be a friendly discussion. Sir Pipkin curiously wondered what they could be talking about. [RP possibility for Adaptus & Suverina talks] At the same time, this allowed him plenty of time to tend to the Jilder delegation, who seemed very intrigued by the regional heraldry, vexillology and many cartographic treasures on display during this latest museum exhibition. They seemed especially intrigued by one particularly old example of maritime navigational cartography from the 12th Century. http://i.imgur.com/a7IGHFcl.jpg 20:00h. â Everyone in the planning committee was quite excited about the last event of the day: an invitation to the impressively rich Imperial Palace for a state dinner with the Empress. They all knew events like this were rare, and only permitted during important occasions such as these. Although most government officials knew the chances of coming to an early agreement were small, they did feel like they were laying the foundation for a potential historic moment. This only added to the expectant, excited atmosphere everyone felt behind the scenes. The many guests seemed quite excited as well for this cordial introduction with the Empress of Orioni. This past decade, her policies had made quite an impact on Europan politics. Knowing this, it must have been quite a surprise for unacquainted delegates to realise she was only 1.60 meters tall. Her height become even more apparent when standing next to her older brother, Prince Toren, the current councillor of defence and commander in the Imperial Navy. Although older, Toren never had any chance at the throne, as according to ancient law only women could inherit the title of monarch. (OOC: see matrilineal succession for more information.) The delegates were presented in alphabetical order, as per diplomatic tradition: first were the Adaptons, followed by the Jilder delegation, and finally the Suverin representatives. From the Grand Federal Kingdom of Adaptus Mr. Kristopher Kopis, Grand Consul of The People of Adaptus Mr. Cyril Armeniois, Praetor Mr. Gordana Bore, Defense Analyist Mr. Iovi Nicetas, Trade Consultant Mr. Darius Pelagi, Political Consultant Mrs. Olivae Passara, Magistrate Ms. Mila Theodosia, Scriba Ms. Euphemae Charito, Scriba From the Archduchy of Jilderen Daksari Sanatana, 9th Prince of Markenland, Imperial Counsellor Baroness Yoga Mahaveda, Minister of Trade Mr. Nithin Pandita, state secretary from the Ministry of Finance Anita van Overlingen, secretary to Daksari Sanatana Various other unnamed representatives From the Great Queendom of Suverina Ms. Ana Codrianu, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Ion Iordan, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Mr. Stefan Marecal, member of the delegation Several other unnamed delegates http://i.imgur.com/rSht0JJl.jpg Once everyone was seated, the banquet commenced. Tables were filled with fresh, local specialities. Orioniâs ambassadors in foreign nations had provided plenty of information regarding each nationâs cuisine, to make sure there was nothing to spoil this dinner. And then of course there was the world-renowned golden Orioni wine, grown on the eastern slopes of the surrounding coastal mountain ranges. The Empress looked around, carefully observing this result of her governmentâs efforts. She turned to chairlady Pristo, sitting to the left of her, and whispered: âYou know, Chandra, I am quite pleased with this first evening. Even though we never heard anything from Tagmatium, Emakera or Vocenae, the delegations that did decide to participate seem more than interested to participate in this platform for discussion.â Pristo: âThank you very much, your majesty. It is indeed a good sign. We must not linger too much on absent delegations, but focus more on the bright side and display a spirit of constructive international cooperation.â The seat to the right of the Empress, reserved for her brother Prince Toren, was empty. Empress: âSay, Chandra, where is my brother? I havenât seen him since the formal introduction of the delegates.â Pristo: âI am not quite sure where he is, your majesty, but I believe the last time I saw him, he was talking to minister Ana Codrianu from Suverina. The both of them seemed to be hitting it off quite well.â The Empress smiled and took another sip from her glass of golden wine. âHow sweet.â A short break had been planned during the banquet, as was custom in Orinese culture. Everyone could let this first course settle, and it allowed the guests to talk candidly about more personal matters besides politics. It came as no surprise, however, when the Adaptons and Suverin asked for a private meeting room, in a more secluded part of the palace. Perhaps they wanted to continue their afternoon discussion that started in the museum? [RP possibility for Adaptus & Suverina talks]
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