eos 17th EOS summit

[Orioni]

The Entente went through some fundamental changes.
With CAOS spun-off, its focus is now solely on defence.
But can the old alliance still affect conflicts near and far?

Act 1
July 31st, 2022
Outside the EOS Headquarters, Deseti Island, Orioni

Plenty of scaffolding can be seen up and around the Entente's main buildings. The alliance's PR machine calls this a clear example of rejuvenation. But critics refer to it is yet another example of how delayed timelines run rampant throughout the Entente. The building was constructed in 2006 on top of a former city library. Its construction cost the Entente a sizable amount. The construction crew didn't include plans for dealing with the quadrupling membership, so the building accommodations became rather cramped over the years. The media has been eager to report on the building's problems.

For much of the past two years, Mr Tobiya Wayanor, the permanent representative of Orioni, has been in and out of these buildings. His staff office occupies a space on the sixth floor, facing south, towards their motherland. The view is pleasant: the white concrete of the surrounding city, three stories high. And beyond it, a patchwork of green fields, with the blue waters of the Roavia Strait in the far distance.

Mr Wayanor is a tall, thin man, with a neatly trimmed beard and hair. He's getting ready for the annual summit of the Entente of Oriental States. Tomorrow marks the 17th summit since the Entente was founded. And it will be the second gathering to be purely focused on military matters, since devolving the civilian programmes to the CAOS in 2020. 

The entrance to the EOS headquarters is a vast square, with the grand steps of the Entente building on the south side. The building is swarming with activity, and there is a stream of diplomats coming to the building. He greets his colleagues with a smile, and asks them a few questions, before motioning them to follow him. As Mr Wayanor moves through the corridors, he notices the media. They're camped out in the lobby of the building, waiting for an important announcement to be made. Mr Wayanor stops at the lobby's counter. He looks at the waiting media, and decides to make a statement. "The media are allowed to watch a part of the summit proceedings," he says. "But there will be no live interviews, no direct questions. We want to ensure the safety of our delegates, after all." He then exits the building, leaving the waiting reporters behind.

As he steps outside, he notices the sky, a deep blue. The weather forecast calls for a sunny day. He continues walking down the pavement, towards the large EOS flag fluttering in the wind.

⁂

(OOC. Some background information for the casual reader or players who are unfamiliar with the EOS. This post is about the 17th annual summit. This presumes the existence of 16 previous summits. There will also be mentions of a joint military exercise. You will find information about both of these at the Entente of Oriental States page on IIWiki. The membership table, on the same page, includes a list of countries and the names of their permanent representatives to the EOS.)

[Orioni]

Act 2 • Scene 1
August 1st, 2022
Inside EOS HQ

Mr Wayanor is on his way to the quorum chamber. The quorum chamber is a large auditorium-like room, with a curved, domed ceiling. There is an armed guard posted at the entrance, but he does not check Wayanor's identity card. The other permanent representatives and their delegation, however, will have to be checked one by one.

His assistant, Mr Rikari, hands his card over to the guard, and he swipes it through a reader. “Thank you,” the guard says, handing it back to Rikari. “Please give our fellow representatives a warm welcome,” replies Rikari. “We look forward to hearing their views during this historic summit.”

One by one, the other representatives arrive. They are greeted in a similar fashion by the guard at the entrance, who swipes their cards through a reader to check them in. Once all the representatives have arrived, Rikari walks up to the guard once again. “The representatives of our great allies have arrived,” he says. “May they find this summit a fruitful exchange of ideas.”

The guard nods in response. “Thank you, Mr Rikari,” he says.

Wayanor and Rikari walk on, and enter the quorum chamber. Time for another diplomatic challenge. Will things turn out as badly as his last major international challenge? Or is there a spark of hope to finally accomplish something?

⁂

Act 2 • Scene 2
Quorum Chamber

The group of permanent representatives enters the room. It takes a moment before all of them find seats. This shouldn't be so hard, because of all seats have a nameplate, and everyone is sitting in their usual seat. But then again, there is always some commotion and pleasantries before the serious discussions actually begin.

The representative from Mekabiri, Mr Arnaldo Paz, is first to speak. “I am honoured to be here,” he says, “And I assure you I will do all I can to make this summit a success.” He speaks for several minutes, expressing his views on various issues concerning the Entente of Oriental States.

“As agreed during the preparatory committee meetings, our agenda for this summit is scheduled to include three important topics. First, a members-only discussion behind closed those. This topic will exclude the countries with observer status. Secondly, the alliance quorum will have to make a final decision to green light the annual joint military exercise later this year. And thirdly, a discussion about membership affairs. How is the cooperation going? What can be improved? Are there any new candidate members from among the existing observers? During previous summits, this proved to be the most mundane topic. These last years, however, the question of admitting new members has been a hot topic due to the Anglian conflict.”

After he finishes, there is a short silence.

⁂

Act 2 • Scene 3
Quorum Chamber

After a brief moment of silence, it is the Tamurine representative who gets to speak. Mr Robert Wassermann is one of the senior diplomats in the Entente. His opinion carries a lot of weight within the Entente. He flips the switch in the control box on his desk that unmutes the microphone in front of him. “Thank you, Mr Paz.”

“The Anglian conflict taught us that the Entente must be prepared for anything,” says Mr Wasserman. “We must do everything in our power to avoid such a conflict from spilling over into our countries. The Anglian conflict shows that the Entente is strong, but the strength of the Entente is not just because of our economic power. EOS has several ways of maintaining peace in the region. In the past, we have used economic sanctions and other forms of punishment. Today, however, we have a better tool: collective defence. I am confident we can maintain peace in the region without engaging in another costly conflict.”

“There has been much talk of war lately. We all know that. The old wurld is gone. A new wurld has emerged. And, in this new wurld, war is not inevitable.”

“It’s interesting that…” interrupts Mr Paz. “Even after two years of conversations about Anglia and agreeing on the challenges that the OCA poses to the alliance, our allies still don’t fully agree on how to frame that discussion and how to respond.”

“Every war can be looked at from many points of view,” acknowledges Wasserman, while maintaining a serious look on his face. “But the main thing about every war is mothers who mourn their children and children who lose their parents.”

“And the Occidental-Azanian Pact is the most significant and direct threat to peace and stability in the Euro-Oriental area,” adds Mr Wayanor. “Today, there is a bigger risk of conflict than there has been since the Thalassan War. EOS’s deterrent posture needs to be strengthened in the West Oriental Theatre and particularly the Meteorolan Archipelago to reduce this risk.”

“It is true that outside forces are trying to use old Azania rivalries to overthrow governments and take over independent countries,” continues Wasserman. “Right now, the EOS was able to halt this threat by establishing a clear perimeter along the Saeida Streat. We need to continue reacting to those western threats and hostile actions in a united and responsible way.”

⁂

Act 2 • Scene 4
Quorum Chamber

Now it's Mr Wayanor's turn to speak. “Thank you for your visionary statement, Mr Wasserman. You have certainly provided us with many ideas to consider.”

“Now on to our second point on the agenda: the annual joint military exercise. For those of you who were with us in previous years, you'll remember our previous co-operative military manoeuvres: Exercise Taming Trouble, a Navy combined training exercise, in the Meteorolas of Southern Europa.”

“The exercise was deemed to be largely a success. Co-operation with our West-Meteorolan allies, i.e. Ayubi and Damak Var, continues to improve. Our military analysts from the Defence College have reviewed the exercise data. They are already working on further improvements to the strategic integration and transformation. Meanwhile, at CAOS, our civilian partners are using the same data to improve the MIDAS programme.”

“As has become tradition for our alliance, the next exercise will involve a different branch of military. This year, in 2022, the focus will be on an Air Force multinational training exercise. The name will be Vigilant Twilight. When it comes to the operational area, two options are on the table. The preferred choice is the area between Tamurin-Kotowari-Ide Jima, to simulate a potential attack by the OCA. The secondary, alternate location is the Strait of Saeida, to maintain an effective forward placement of Air Forces.”

(OOC. This beautiful map was created by @Anatea. Consult the full version here.)

“Please use the buttons on your desk to cast your vote.”

⁂

(OOC. There's a poll at the top of the page. Please use it to cast your vote. This is for EOS members only, of course. Pinging @Cashar, @Cristina, @Esonice, @Ide Jima, @Miiros, @san castellino, and @Sunset Sea Islands.)

[Orioni]

Act 2 • Scene 5
Quorum Chamber

Now that the fun parts are out of the way, let's get to the administrative formalities. The observers are asked to enter the room and join the quorum.

The representative from @Miiros is next. Mrs Hugrún Hnefilsdóttir is an experienced stateswoman who served many decades as her country's leading diplomat, and one who is known for her eloquent manner of speaking. With a determined pace, she walks up to the podium.

“A star shines on the hour of our meeting,” she begins while gazing around the room.

“For nearly twenty years, EOS has ensured the freedom and security of its allied members. We remain faithful to the common goal of protecting our citizens, defending our territory against any form of aggression, and guarding our freedom. We will reinforce our unity, cohesion and solidarity, building on the enduring trans-Oriental bond between our countries and the strength of our shared values,” she says, beaming at her delegation.

“I stand here today on behalf of the Consortium of Miiros, a great nation. As a long-standing ally of the Entente, we repeat our unwavering commitment to the Entente and to defending each other from all threats, no matter where they stem from. We look forward to our continued cooperation.”

“EOS has been around for decades and has a rich history. We must be mindful of our past, while also thinking carefully about our future. And the time to look to that future has now come. Let us discuss the EOS membership and what it means for our changing wurld. Right now, we count 15 member states and an equal number of observer states.”

“Observer status is not membership,” she points out. “But it is a step in the right direction. The governments of @Hemahat and @Mahana have signalled they are interested in becoming full members. Both countries have held observer status since December 2017. Hemahat and Mahana have both been working on advancing their military presence and economic strength.”

⁂

(OOC. These mentions of expanded membership follow the earlier application by Hemahat in February and Mahana's news story from May. Since you're already considered to be observer states, both of your permanent representatives are in the room. Now would also be a good time for @Esoniceto repeat their intentions to leave the alliance. This intention was mentioned on Discord, but nowhere else. By announcing this IC, we can have some drama around the pressing need to relocate the Joint Command Alharu in Maimedo.)

[Orioni]

OOC. I've amended the membership poll at vote to include the recent applications of @Feluga and @Safiloa.

Full details:

• Mutual Friendship Foreign Relations: EOS & Feluguese Republic
• From the Gohulian Ministerial Directorship

EOS members can vote on whether to accept these applications (or not) but selecting from the multiple choice poll. A majority % vote of voting members is required to be accepted. For example: 2/3, 3/4, 3/5, 4/6, etc.

@Bergenaria you voted in the poll, but are not a full member, only an observer. Please remove your current vote, and add your formal application in the form of an RP public statement here in this topic. Thank you.

[Orioni]

Act 2 • Scene 6
Quorum Chamber

Mrs Hanaan al-Musa, the permanent representative from @Hemahat tapped the microphone to speak.

“Thank you very much, Mrs Hnefilsdóttir. It is my pleasure to share with you this message. On behalf of the Hemahatik State and her people, President Heptuin Aymed has received the approval of the Ayadad to apply as a full member. We would be glad to accept, and hope the other members of the Entente of Oriental States accept us into their organization.”

All delegates in the quorum room stood and gave her a thundering round of applause.

After the applause subsided, and much to everyone's surprise, the representative Mrs Délia Gusmão from @Feluga also tapped her microphone.

“The Felugese people admire this brave decision by their Hemahatik brothers from across the Oriental Ocean. With great honour, I can inform you of these words by our Exterior Minister, Mr Luís Tomás da Costa. As representative of the Feluguese government, we are pleased to convey Cortes Gerais' voice that the Feluguese wishes to become a full member of EOS. We believe that the charter of EOS is indeed in line with our foreign policy.”

Another thunderous roar ensued. Some delegates even banged their fists against their table-top. This continued for some time.

And then it was Mrs Kini-Mali Tsafimakoua, the Gohulian representative's turn to stun the quorum. 

“Truest representatives. The Abode of Love & Passion, The United Holy Communal-Republics of Safiloa announces their intention to apply as a full-fledged member-state. We are eager to coordinate efforts and organize together with the other EOS member-states, to further establish at the top level, a more loquacious, a more beautiful, a more peaceful, and a fairer part of the wurld.  We aim to advance the respect of all living things and to ensure a more equal economic growth among the citizenry. Verily, we believe that our admission would bring a great many gifts to the wurld as well. Praise be the Times that we are in for the extension of the opportunity to us, and may everlasting-peace and prosperity bless our great nations.”

⁂

(OOC. I took the liberty to collect and quote from the various pending applications strewn throughout other topics. Hopefully, this presents the readers with a more coherent and realistic story. As for the actual membership vote, I sent another PM to all existing members to hear their opinion on the matter.)

[Orioni]

(OOC. A message for all the current and new EOS members. A very generous amount of time has passed since my @ mentions in August, private DM's in October, and regular reminders in this topic. If you still want your permanent representative to take part in the Summit, now's the time. All events in this story take place on 31 July 2022. You can use that, and the three topics, as inspiration. When this month of November 2022 ends, both this topic and included poll will be locked. Thank you.)