Author Topic: The Emerald Brotherhood (Nis and Samantra)  (Read 2723 times)

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Offline Geo

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The Emerald Brotherhood (Nis and Samantra)
« on: December 12, 2021, 08:31:33 PM »
Formal Dispatch from Niš, by order of the King.
To the Holy Kingdom of Samantra

In order to establish ties between us and your fair people, we cordially invite Yeva Litvin to our capital of Niš for formal talks and the establishment of friendship between us.

Sincerely, Basil IV, By the Grace of God, King of the Serbs and King of Niš.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2022, 10:18:04 PM by Geo »

Offline Markus

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Re: Serbian Cordage
« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2021, 05:20:43 PM »

To: His Royal Majesty Basil IV

I would like to thank Your Majesty for the invitation to the kingdom of Niš. As neighbors and fellow Orthodox Christians our two nations have much in common which should always encourage our governments to seek peace and friendship as well as the further development of our cultural ties so obvious even in our native languages.
I look forward to visiting your proud kingdom and will leave my staff to coordinate with yours to make the proper arrangements.
May God bless our two great nations!

Yeva Litvin
President of the Duma
Holy Kingdom of Samantra

Offline Geo

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Re: Serbian Cordage
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2021, 09:33:49 PM »
Basil IV, by the Grace of God, King of the Serbs, stood waiting by the front window of the White Palace.
Checking his schedule, the delegation from Samantra would soon arrive, having landed at Niš Uroš the Great Airport and being swifted escorted on the road towards the Royal District of Niš.
Once they arrived, they'd exchange pleasantries over a light lunch, before retiring to a study to discuss the various diplomatic friendliness that he aimed to achieve with his neighbour.
He tucked his pocket watch into his jacket's pocket and turned towards the door, walking out of the drawing room, and stepped into the hallway. He was joined by his General Secretary, Baron Vojnović, and his Personal Secretary, Natasa Bojevi. Together, they walked out the door, and onto the drive, where the vehicle containing the foreign delegation could be seen pulling into the gates at the far end of the drive.
He straightened his tie, and straightened his back, attempting to look as dignified and smart as his position expected him to be. The car pulled up and a footman swiftly opened the door and stepped back.
Basil leaned forwards and shook President Litvin's hand.
"Welcome to the White Palace," he said, "please, come in."
« Last Edit: December 22, 2021, 09:46:11 PM by Geo »

Offline Markus

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Re: Serbian Cordage
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2022, 01:39:05 PM »
President of the Duma, Yeva Litvin led the Samantran delegation to Niš. She didn’t know what to expect going forward. Niš was a neighbor with whom Samantra shared both religion and culture as both nations were Christian Orthodox and Slavic but the treatment of Basnions by Niš was an issue of contention. She knew full well that Petrograd (ooc: the capital of Samantra) wanted good relations with Niš as it regarded them as a key potential partner because of their location. Petrograd hoped it could earn their support against Soviet Rodina and for that potential support Petrograd was willing to close its eyes and ignore many things happening in Niš but there were limits to how much their could ignore.

As the car of the Samantran delegation stopped at the White Palace, Yeva took a couple of moments to assess the building. She had expected something more grandiose than how the White Palace looked. Just before getting out of the car she made the sign of the cross. It was something many Samantrans did before what they expect to be a difficult challenge.

The Samantran delegation made its way to King Basil IV. The delegation numbered half a dozen people but the two prominent members were President of the Duma Yeva Litvin and Minister for trade , economy and finance Stas Petrov.



President of the Duma Yeva Litvin arriving at the White Palace in Niš

“God, he is so young” Yeva thought to herself as she approached Basil:

“Your Majesty” she said in Rodianian (ooc: Russian), the native language of Samantra, as she made a small bow before continuing “It’s a pleasure to meet Your Majesty”. She then proceeded to go in. Stas Petrov was right behind her towering as her as the man was about 6 feet and 5 inches tall (ooc: 195 cm) while Yeva was quite petite. 

Offline Geo

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Re: Serbian Cordage
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2022, 10:14:13 PM »
(OOC, i'm assuming that the delegation either didn't eat on the way to Nis or only had a light snack)

Basil lead the way within the White Palace, the paintings of his ancestors frowning down at the party as they walked down the main hallway. They walked some more before turning left, into a room with a wide window overlooking a bubbling fountain and swaying flowerbeds. A table was set up in the middle of the room, its mahogany legs contrasting with the rich red carpet of the room, and the dark oak panelling used around on the walls.

The table was set up for around a dozen people, three of the chairs already being taken up by a man in dark clothing silently leaning back in his chair as two young men on either side of him talked earnestly at each other, seemingly to the man's amusement. Upon hearing the sound of the king and delegation enter the room, the man sat up slowly, turning round to greet the entering group.

"Your highness," the man nodded.
Basil quickly introduced the man to the delegation, though it was a formality, as the face of Irinej, Patriarch of Niš in all his priestly attair being beloved with Niš and well known without. Basil explained that his presence here was to ensure that the Church of Niš was happy with all agreements made here as Irinej shook hands with the delegation.

Basil took the seat at the head of the table, and poured himself a small drink from the beaker of liquor there on the table. As servants brought in food for the group, Basil gestured towards the Patriarch.

"Your Holiness, if you may."
He nodded, and closing his eyes he placed his hands over the food, "O Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servants, for holy art Thou, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen." He made the sign of Christ and sat down.

"So," Basil said, placing a chicken sandwich on his plate and taking a draught from his glass, trying to look smart and respectable, whilst simultaneously informal and friendly, as this shared meal was meant to be, "How fares Samantra's Patriarch, Alexy? I pray he is well? I had hoped that we would be able to get both sides of your government, both secular and theocratic, here today. Maybe some other time, maybe on a visit to your fair nation."

Offline Markus

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Re: Serbian Cordage
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2022, 03:21:35 PM »
Yeva noticed the paintings of what she assumed were the ancestors of Basil’s royal family. She was not familiar with the historical details of his family but she knew they were prestigious.

As she entered the room she immediately recognized Patriarch Irinej. His presence in the room was an unpleasant surprise but she did her best to hide it. She had never met him before and he didn’t have anything against him personally but she suspected his presence at the talks will make some aspects of the talks more difficult, in particular the issue of the Basnion minority in Nis.

Yeva, Stas Petrov and the rest of the Samantran delegation took a seat at the table.  After the Patriarch was finished with the prayer, all in the Samantran delegation made the sign of the cross.

“His Holiness is doing well Your Majesty. His dedication to the Church is commendable and the country as a whole is better off thanks to him. I am sure His Holiness would be delighted to meet you in Samantra. We would also make sure to give you a royal welcome.” Yeva added. She wasn’t lying when that. The government in Samantra, whether secular or spiritual, wanted Nis to be a friend of Samantra.

“As for the two branches of our governments, secular and spiritual as we call them, we are going through an unprecedented period in Samantra’s history. Until now the secular government worked in very close coordination with the spiritual government under Legion, that would be the other major party in Samantra, administrations. At the latest elections, the Samantran people elected us to lead the secular government and our approach is autonomous to that of the spiritual government though of course we coordinate. At the end of the day we all serve the Samantran people and our Lord. “

I hope I didn’t bore you with our local politics” Yeva smiled.

After giving the hosts a chance to reply she said:

“In many ways I think we are very blessed. Our corner of Mundus is homogenous unlike almost anyplace. There aren’t many heads of state or governments that can sit around at the same table and have so much in common and I think we should value that. I believe that if the Rus’ nations will work together we could make our corner of the world the cultural and economic epicenter of Mundus.”

After the hosts replied, she opened another topic:

“How are things in the Kingdom of Nis?” Yeva said trying to get an understanding of what are the major issues on the Nis agenda.


Offline Geo

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Re: Serbian Cordage
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2022, 10:00:25 PM »
Basil smiled and nodded, taking a sip from his glass.

"Not at all, I have always found politics interesting, it is admirable how men can come together to make their nation work, from the monarchies to the republics to everything in between, as long as the underlying system works. It's always interesting to learn more about how a government works."

He took bite of his sandwich, chewing and swallowing neatly.

"The friendship between our peoples has endured for centuries over all the world has been able to muster. From the horrors of communism to the temptations of modern day liberalism and degeneracy. I am however curious on how far you wish to, as you put it "work together". We have absolutely no problem with facilitating trade, sports or anything of the sort between our two nations. I'd even hazard to say that, if a threat did rear its head, we'd be happy to join you in countering that threat through an alliance or even a mutual assistance pact. We'd support an initiative to join our little corner into greater ties. I hope I am not being too direct, but I do believe it is important to understand where we both stand in regards to this."

He took another sip.

"I do, personally, believe that our nations and peoples banding together can bring benefits. From warding off imperialistic powers like Rokkenjima to bringing greater benefits to our peoples.'

"As for Nis, the country has never been better. I have my father to thank for that, without him this nation would surely be in a pitiful state. I hope to exemplify his way, and bring Nis to heights even he failed to lift it to. The only problem I could recall off the top of my head is the likely soon to happen death of Baron Ugljanin, God rest his soul, without any direct relative save his cousin, who is already a Baron. His cancer has sadly gotten to the stage where cannot way into this himself, leaving his successor's appointment an issue of slight contention. Apart from that, however, we're quite running smoothly."

He picked up an apple, inspecting its red, shiny surface, before taking a bite. He looked around the table, and saw that the food placed on plates had almost all disappeared. He finished his drink, waiting for everyone else to finish, and his guests to reply. Once that had been done, he stood up, gesturing towards another door.

"I hope," he said, "that everyone has finished with their food, if you'll please follow me."

The room was lined with bookshelves, and a desk stood in a corner. A table, large and oval shaped, stood in the centre, chairs for a dozen people drawn up. A tablet was placed in the centre, along with a pad of paper and a mug filled with pens. A jug full of water stood in the centre, ice and lemons floating on the surface. One wall was panelled, a painting of the battle of Kosvow hanging above a lit fire place. Opposite, a window opened out into a garden, a cherry blossom tree, imported from Daito in the 1980s, sitting happily in prime view.

"Do take a seat," Basil said, guestering to the chairs, "and let us get started."
He took a seat and clicked a pen.

Offline Markus

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Re: Serbian Cordage
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2022, 07:55:30 PM »
“While or nations do not have a similar form a government and domestic concerns we nevertheless share many of the same values. That has allowed us to see the same threats and cherish the same values.
What we seek first is to get reacquainted so to speak. To formalize our economic and cultural ties and slowly assume our responsibility to secure the Rus’ Sea (ooc: Rodinian Sea) and to start coordinating in issues that threaten our national security. If we speak with one voice, we will be heard more clearly.” replied Yeva without going too much into details since there was another issue she wanted to address first.

“Your Majesty, before we go forward allow me to be frank and ask you what relations are right now with the Basnion minority. Your Majesty was not around during the … incident that took place decades ago and I was quite young myself. Samantra stayed silent then despite international pressure. During those times there was a different generation in charge of Samantra, my generation will likely not remain silent should something similar happen again. That is why I need to know how relations are with the Basnion minority.”

Until then Yeva did the talking for the Samantran side but now Stas intervened.

“Just so we are clear, these are the topics we wanted to address with Your Majesty but they are conditional on knowing how you stand on the Basnion issue” as he said that he opened his briefcase, took out a few papers and showed them to Basil. He had a tablet with him but since Basil took a pen, he assumed the monarch was the more conservative type despite his young age:

“Proposed agenda:

1.   Infrastructure:
-   Exploring the possibility of building a bridge between our two nations (OOC: Samantra no longer controls the province in the Northern part of the Emerald Strait. So Samantra is in the South of the strait and Nis in the Northern part).

2. Trade and economy:
- Exploring the willingness of both sides:
     - to reduce tariffs.
     - allow domestic companies to invest in each other’s countries.
- Discussions on the main strengths and weakness of each other’s economies.

3.Cultural ties:
- exploring ways to secure the internet against immoral materials and false information.
- Invite the host to join the Ardian Coalition (ooc: the countries that thought alongside the Ardian Empire in the Great War) exhibitions aboard.

3.Security:
   Joint patrols of the Strait
-   Exploring the opportunity for Nis (government or NGOs) to join the Desovietization Institute and exchange ideas about how each side can contribute.
-   Present each other’s opinion on the following entities: OPEN, SUN.
-   Discussions on the Centralian Civil War
-   Discussions on the availability of the Nis side to join a new organization as a founding member: Rus’ League."

Offline Geo

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Re: Serbian Cordage
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2022, 10:15:15 PM »
Basil parsed his lips.

"The Basnions are not a problem. My father ended all targeted violence against them. He apologised to the international community for the victims; he reimbursed out of his own pocket areas badly affected; he underwent penance under the eyes of God, confessing his brother's and father's sins. The hatchet is, as they say, buried. Tensions with the Basnions are low. Despite this, a minority amount of Basnions continue to act as though it was the 20th century, demanding we apologise for deaths of soldiers in combat with soldiers."

Basil sounded slightly annoyed now.

"We have done our part, we have asked for forgiveness and we have done what we can for them. Most Basnions have accepted our offered hands, yet a few slap it and spit in our face. They cannot accept we've done our part, they demand more and more. So, our relations with the Basnions? Settled. An incident with them is not going to happen in the future, not under my reign and not under my son's future reign. The state of Nis has accepted the Basnions, the Basnions have, for the most, accepted us too. I pray that this continues to be the case."

The hint of annoyance left his voice, and he tapped the pen against the table. He poured himself a drink of water, and sighed.

"I hope that has satisfied you, no new controversy should emerge from us and the Basnions, the waters have settled."

He pulled the agenda towards him, reading over it

The first point, he saw no trouble with. It looked expensive, and he'd first see what the Samantrans believed it would cost, and the benefits it would offer.
The second point, he saw only benefit too. He hoped to build on his father's legacy of large economic growth, and here was a way to do so.
The third point, he saw partial value in. The internet and its contents proved alarming for proper sensibilities, entirely online communities springing up encouraging the worst behaviour, from homosexual intercourse to paedophilia, and breeding the worst kinds of people, from atheists to idiots to socialists. The internet did intrigue him with its contents, you could learn any language, any skill and any information easily and simply. However, freedom of internet was something his father Vladmir had insured across his reign, when the internet had first been introduced. He didn't want to go back on what his father sought to ensure. On the otherhand, the Ardian Coalition incited him less.
A museum of the Ardian's allies during the great war would inevitably have to feature the bankruptcy and collapse and surrender of Nisavia-Basnio, years before the war even ended, an embarrassment for Nisavia. He'd consider it, but the exhibitions put in place would require moderation.
The fourth point he liked. Communism was a dire threat to the lifeblood of every nation, and to fight against the rump state of communism in the region would undoubtedly make Nis more secure.
OPEN did not bother him, Nis had natural reserves, however so small and slight it was hardly significant. OPEN served no real purpose for him. SUN intrigued him, however much the name contradicted itself. He'd be willing to consider it.
The Centralian Civil War also involved him, Nis had already dirtied its Black Hands with the matter, and cooperation with a nation (hopefully) backing the same side.
As for the Rus League, Basil was intrigued. The name intrigued him, and other than that, no information had been offered. He'd wait and see what it entailed.

He settled on discussing each point on their own. It would do no good to attempt to settle each individual in one go, no. Best to be methodical.

"The first point, infrastructure. How much do you believe it would cost? What would the construction time be? I understand the benefits it would bring, but do you believe that it would outweigh the costs? I'm assuming that you have the plans on you?"

He raised an eyebrow.
 
« Last Edit: June 19, 2022, 03:25:11 PM by Geo »

Offline Markus

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Re: Serbian Cordage
« Reply #9 on: April 22, 2022, 11:44:44 AM »
Yeva and Stas exchanged glances at the Basil’s emotional outburst. Stas couldn’t help but think that he was glad Samantra got rid of the monarchy and that rulers so young as Basil or Asuna of Rokkenjima could never get that much power ever again in Samantra.

Yeva replied: “I appreciate Your Majesty’s willingness to approach the issue in such a frank manner.  The matter is settled then.“

Stas decided to handle the infrastructure questions:

“I believe the total costs would be in the range of 20 billion roubles/USD and take around eight to ten years from start to finish.”

Stas represented the interests of Samantra’s corporations in the government, more precisely its powerful financial sector. He didn’t really care that much about whether the project made economic sense as long his backers profited from the project. Would the project turn a profit? Maybe in 50 years but Stas had to paint a different picture:

“Your Majesty, on the matter of outweighing the costs I believe it does if we look past the limited aspects of economic numbers.

Our two nations have the chance to build a mega project that will stand at least a century if not more creating a world class landmark. A landmark which not only will bring tourists but also prestige to our countries and the whole region. Look at the latest Clysperi bid to host the Mundus games. Their great pyramids are one of the main selling points. It doesn’t matter that slaves probably helped build them, what matters is that they endure and still serve a purpose to the government in Clysperis millennia after they were built.   

Ever since the Rus’ Empire crumbled under the nefarious forces of communism, our corner of Mundus has been yearning for achievements that shape Mundus. I know the Samantran people want to see the Holy Kingdom build wonders that rival that of the Rus’ and Ardian empires and I think the people of Nis want the same thing. Think of the potential, Samantran and Nis architects designing the bridge, our construction companies working on a Mundus class project and future generations, including Your Majesty’s children, seeing the project that was started and finished under your reign and being named Nemanjić  bridge after your dynasty for your side and after Vladimir the Great (ooc: the exact history of Vladimir the Great would have to take into account the major differences between the Rus' of Mundus and that in RL) on the Samantran side.  ”

Stas wasn’t lying when he said that such projects were popular with the Samantran people. What he did not mention was that having such projects built meant that the party in power got an electoral boost.

“To conclude, Your Majesty, the project would see each of our nations pay 10 billion roubles/USD for the project. On our side the bridge will be owned and operated by a private company who will be allowed to charge toll fees. The company will of course be listed on the Petrograd Stock Exchange. The government will provide a grant of 5 billion roubles/usd with the rest being covered by private parties domestic or international. We would prefer if the whole project would be owned and operated by a joint Nis-Samantran company each side having 50-50 shares but each side having separate companies is also a possibility.”     

Offline Geo

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Re: Serbian Cordage
« Reply #10 on: June 10, 2022, 07:07:46 PM »
Basil nodded. He liked the idea of his name being attached to such a great ambition, and his guests were right on the fact tht its construction would be a prestigous achievment. The national budget could most likely be shifted around to make it afforable.

"This bridge project sounds worthwhile. I will run some of the finer details through with my barons, just in case any of them having anything to say on the matter, but you can most likely consider it done."

He pulled a notepad towards him, making a note, before folding it and placing it into his shirt pocket. He tapped the pen twice on the table.

"Your second point," he said, "of economic exchange between our two nations.

I agree with the idea of lowering tariffs for each other. It'd incentivise companies and businesses to use each of our nations for goods and services, and not turn to any of mundus' other... dubious nations. In addition, I'd would like to propose several more economic agreements between our two nations. The first that upon completion of the bridge across the strait, the KŽN (Royal Railway of Nis) will cooperate, or even merge if that is desired by Samantra, with Samantran railservices to jointly construct a trans-rodinan railline across our two nations, not only crossing the Rodinian sea but also going deep into each respective nation's territory. The plan would greatly increase infastructure across our nations, bringing the usual benefits that greater infastructure brings. It also sets them up in a good position to further expand into other neighbouring nations, potentially dominating freight transportation across East Ardia in the future. The frieght train industry is quite healthy in Nis, and it'd quite easily be able to fill demand, at the current projected rate of growth."

He waited for the Samantran response and proposals, before inquiring on another attempt to branch the two nations.

"One of my Barons has proposed that I introduce the query of organised student exchange programs between our universities. I have confirmation that the Blitken University of Technical Sciences, and I suspect that the University of Belgrade, Nis and more will always willingly join in such a program. What says you?"

Offline Markus

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Re: Serbian Cordage
« Reply #11 on: June 19, 2022, 11:35:47 AM »
Stas was pleased that Basil was open to cooperation:

“Naturally Your Majesty that we can’t figure out all the details today. What we hope to achieve is an agreement in principle and then have our office handle out the details. We expect to encounter unexpected obstacles on both sides but where there’s a will there’s a way. “

“Infrastructure is very important Your Majesty and a priority for us in the government. Our nation railway system is private monopoly.  An agreement could be reached for a merger between the two provided that the private interests are preserved of course and that the merger is done on a position of equal footing 50-50%. We would also ask for the new company to be listed on the Petrograd Stock Exchange (PSE). We have a vibrant financial sector which the Samantran government wants to continue to develop.” In fact the Samantran financial sector was so vibrant that Stas himself was basically their lobbyist in the government.

“I think that is a fair trade Your Majesty considering the fact that Samantra, unlike your kingdom, lacks a train/locomotives manufacturer and the new company will almost certainly only purchase trains manufactured and designed in your kingdom.
As for the exact route, way to build and costs I propose we set up a future joint commission for talks that will provide us regular updates and pick the best option (ooc: by that I mean iron out the details later).

The fact that Stas didn’t even need to consult the President of the Duma in order to agree to the deal was proof of his influence in the government in key areas. On the subject of education, he had little interest so he “let” the President speak:

“I think that is a wonderful idea. The holy kingdom of Samantra is very focused on the educational performance of the students but also the environment in which they develop. Many countries in Mundus do not offer an environment that promotes or rewards behaviors that are in accordance with what the Lord teaches us. With the Kingdom of Nis we have no such qualms, on the contrary we are grateful to have such a God fearing nation as a neighbor. I will have my cabinet propose a draft to the Duma, which I am sure they will approve as Nis is a nation the Samantran people hold in high regard, where our universities will have the legal framework to engage in such student exchanges and have studies done in Nis be recognized and certified as equivalent to those in the Holy Kingdom. “

“If I may continue, Your Majesty” Yeva added: “As I said, we as leaders of our nations have a moral duty to the wellbeing of our citizens. We are currently working to expand our legislation to better protect the public from immoral, harmful and false information that is present online, often from foreign sources that serve no purpose then the enrichment of those that create them and the weakening the moral fiber of our people.

I would like to ask Your Majesty, if the kingdom of Nis was such protections in place for the online and off media and whether it would be willing to work with us on legislation for such protections. Naturally the exchange of experience and knowledge on the subject will be limited to just that, as each of our nation will be free to pass whatever protections it deems necessary. But I think it is important, as we share  a similar language (ooc: I have this right and that is still the case), to have protections in place in both countries, otherwise our citizens might it easier to circumvent them. “
 

Offline Geo

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Re: The Emerald Brotherhood
« Reply #12 on: June 19, 2022, 06:06:19 PM »
"The proposed details of the merge sounds acceptable. However, the people of Nis have enjoyed a cheap railway services since the Kingdom's inception. Whilst they do have to pay a farefee for usage, the majority of the cost of running it was paid for out of the Royal Purse, which is in turn paid for by the Royalty Tax they all pay. I would not wish to deprive them of this service. If such a merger were to go ahead, I'd require the ability for the Royal Purse to continue to pay the majority of a Nišlija traveller's fare. They would continue to pay the small fare they had before, and the private interests of profit would continue to be fuffilled. I have no quams with it being listed on the PSE, however I wish to make it clear that I'd have no desire to sell my shares of the hypothetical merged company. A join commission makes sense."

He picked up a bottle of Rakija, inspecting the label before pouring some into a shot glass. He did not drink it. He was pleased at the way the talks were heading so far, better than he had feared by far.

When he heard that the Samantrans agreed with the university proposal, he was even more pleased. He gave his approval and nodded his consent. However, the internet issue threatened to put his good mode at risk. He shook his head.

"I apologise, but internet freedom in Nis will remain as it is. We maintain a laissez faire attitude towards the internet, and that's unlikely to change. If parents or companies wish to block websites from their children or employess, they are free to do so. But the freedom to the internet and all it has to offer has been around since the internet was created and then introduced to Nis by my father, Stefan Vladmir III. The internet may contain morally corrupting content, and is a breeding ground for all kinds of people, but the people of Nis have remained pure despite it, and I, as King, would not wish to tread upon this. I wish you luck in your regulations in Samantra, but I pray you will respect my descion to keep the internet free from government influence."

Irinej stirred at this, but didn't comment. Basil moved on quickly, trying not to linger on the issue.

"As for your proposal of joining exhibitions showcasing the contributions to the Great War the nations under Nis made, however any exhibitions on said nations would first have to be approved be me, including, Nišava, especially Nišava. The great embarassment of Nišava's bankrupcy, surrender, collapse and subsequent fall to communism near the end of the war would probably be best to shuffle to one side. I trust this approving won't be an issue?"

He wrote down a note to remind himself to follow up on the university and exhibition ideas with his barons, and then with the respesctive universities and museums. He looked over the agenda, and saw that security was up next.

"As for the security issues you have mentioned, joint patrols of the Emererald Straits make sense, and should not be too hard to organise or perform. The benefits are obvious. In regards to joining the IDRSC, I see no problem in it. The soviets have been nothing but belligerent in their diplomacy and domestic management. Communism is a Godless scourge that they will attempt to push on the free nations of the world till they succeed. We can provide funding, host exhibitions and all the regular required functions of a member. As for OPEN, Nišlija oil fields are mainly concentrated in Ilirija, where we have estimated around 200 million barrells, with another 150 million scattered around. However, OPEN has never particuarly peaked my interest as best for Nis. I understand you have applied to join, but do you believe Nis should?"

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Re: The Emerald Brotherhood (Nis and Samantra)
« Reply #13 on: June 26, 2022, 04:00:52 PM »
“If I understand correctly, Your Majesty, the current system you have in place is basically a subsidy. The company gets the funds for the ticket but most of them happen to come from the royal budget rather than the user of the service. If that is the case, then that does not affect the profitability of the company so it is no issue with us. The same goes for Your Majesty keeping your shares” replied Stas. 

Yeva was disappointed that Basil rejected the proposal to work together with Samantra for a safe internet and noticed that Basil was quick to dismiss the topic. She didn’t press further today. She instead made a mental note to explore other avenues when she returned home to Petrograd. She figured the House of Barons and Senior Clergy would be places where more lobby could be done for such laws but she would need to know more details and planning in order to proceed in a manner that didn’t seem as intruding in the internal affairs of the Northern neighbor.
 
“The purpose of the exhibition is to present the information that is often overlooked, sometimes on purpose other times non-intentionally, since the present narrative is dominated by the winning powers in the Great War Era. What each nation choses to present to the public is a matter left to each nation. For example the Samantran one, as far as our historians have informed me, will focus on the reasons for going to war, the human cost for the Samantran side, the help it received and given to its allies during the conflagration and the effects of the Great War for present day Samantra: our society, our institutions, our perspective of Mundus. I for one look forward to seeing it just as I do the one for Royal Seleucid (ooc: they said yes in another thread), Nis and hopefully Heyra and the Allied States of Ardia. “

Yeva was pleased to see that on the matter of security there was a firm foundation to build on:

“I am pleased to see Your Majesty has the same assessment as us regarding the threat of Soviet Communism and it is open to working with us to contain and eventually end the threat. We also have a responsibility to the Rodinian Sea as keepers of the Emerald Strait and our joint patrol will show that we living up to our responsibility.

We applied/joined (ooc: I need to check with OPEN members to see if I have been accepted) as observers in OPEN because Oil and Gas is the blood of our economy and we get most of our oil and gas from them. You mentioned your nation has oil but I am not that best with these numbers. Does that mean you extract enough oil to meet your needs and to export to other nations?”

Yeva didn’t answer the question about whether Nis should join OPEN since she needed more information.

“I would also like to talk about the last two points on the agenda, namely SUN and the proposed Rus’ League.

Our poor historical relations with Achkaerin and deteriorating relations with Rokkenjima makes the CSTO and its aligned organizations like the CSU a potential threat to Samantra’s interests aboard and potentially its security.  The only two other competing organizations or better said alternatives in Mundus are SUN and CNN. CNN is relatively far from us both geographically and culturally. The only potential friend there is Lodja. SUN is closer geographically, almost bordering us but culturally it is as alien as CNN with only Chistopol sharing cultural ties. It is for these reasons that Samantra will not join either organizations and instead work towards building a loose community of culturally aligned nations.  This is where the Rus’ League comes into play. We have talked with our friends in Zaporozh, a nation that also cares deeply about the Lord, and they are open to having formal talks with all invited parties for such an organization. 

The Rus’ League, at least as we envisioned it, will not be an ambitious project in terms of cohesion  agenda (ooc: no defense clause or economic union) but ambitious in inviting to take part all nations of Rus’ heritage and language. The Rus’ world is huge and diverse and seems to be expanding as new nations emerge from isolation. The interests of Lodja are not the same as the interests of Zaporozh and so on. What we hope is that we create a place for dialogue and modest cooperation that will allow countries like us, Zaporozh or Nis to build friendship and influence in both SUN and CNN. I also hope that our three countries will form the core of the organization. Should we achieve that we there will be no need to join organizations such as SUN “ explained Yeva.     

Offline Geo

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Re: The Emerald Brotherhood (Nis and Samantra)
« Reply #14 on: July 08, 2022, 12:25:50 AM »
Basil nodded along.

"I see," he said, "in that case I see no reason for Nis not to take part."

He quickly jotted down another note, to remind his secretary to send a message asking for the various museum's to talk to one of his barons, maybe Vanja, or Tilen. Both lead cities with large and popular museums in them, so they'd probably do well.

"As for oil," said Basil, "the 350 million barrels we have is currently mostly inaccassible for us. We have several companies who operate and extract oil for a profit, selling it to energy producers and manufacturers, but over the oil stays in the ground. Its a situation that hasn't troubled us too much; the nation gets enough oil to run from sources both at home and abroad. The companies make their money, and overall its a happy relationship. Whislt we don't export to other nations, some of the companies are subsidaries of foreign companies, from places like Heyra. I am by no means an expert on the oil trade by any stretch of the definition so I am curious on what benefits, if any, there are to joining OPEN for Nis?"

He listened to the Samanran's assessment of the region's geopolitics and found himself nodding along.

"I'd agree with your assessment of our region's potential options," he made air quotes, "'our 'friend' in the north is alien to us, both in culture and values, and Rokkenjima remains as belligerent as it always has been, both militarily and culturally. As for CNN and SUN, I have no desire for Nis to join them, SUN's name is an oxymoron by and of itself. I do however like the beat of your drum. This Rus League sounds to be a decent idea. I expect there will be a summit between proposed founding nations so we can discuss its formation and how it will function in greater detail?"

He raised an eyebrow, looking inquisitively at Yeva.

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Re: The Emerald Brotherhood (Nis and Samantra)
« Reply #15 on: July 10, 2022, 08:14:32 AM »
“Right now, Your Majesty I would postpone a decision to join OPEN. From what I understand, oil and gas is not a major concern right for now for your kingdom which means things are running smoothly as they are right now. I do not see why you should change that, at least not for now”.

Stas couldn’t help but think “The Heyrans are already in our backyard and got their fingers in the pie” so as soon as Yeva finished talking Stas intervened sensing an opportunity:

“How wonderful Your Majesty that your kingdom has allowed foreign companies in that sector. I assume Samantran companies have the same access as the Heyran ones, Your Majesty, is that correct?”

Leaving the Heyrans, who had their fingers in all pies across Mundus, to reap the benefits alone in Nis was something Stas was not prepared to accept. If there was something he could do to see the Heyrans get more competition he was prepared to do it.

In regards to the Rus’ League, Yeva resumed “Your Majesty has correctly anticipated that we plan to host a summit about it where each nation will be free to submit proposals, express concerns and negotiate for the creation of the Rus’ League.

Right now me and my cabinet are in the process of informing our neighbors about our intent to create the organization and want to see what the initial reaction is so to say. For example our friends in Zaporozh have stated that a mutual defense clause is out of the question and that is a red line for them, that naturally that means that our initial draft for the League would no include such a clause. In fact it was never our intention to have such a clause in the first place. So if Your Majesty has any red lines so to speak, we will make sure that anything related to them won’t be included in the initial draft. “

“The last matter we wish to discuss is the Centralian civil war. I would like to begin by informing Your Majesty that, after careful consideration; the holy kingdom is discreetly backing the Providential Republic of Centralia.” Yeva conveniently left out the fact that the Holy Kingdom backed the Providential Republic of Centralia despite her objections and that the decision was made by the spiritual government overruling her completely. 

“We naturally have plenty of reservations regarding the Providential Republic of Centralia but we assess they are a better alternative than the communist faction or the current federal government. So far our offer of help to them has been limited to financial support, satellite surveillance, limited training for troops and providing medical supplies. Depending on Your Majesty interest in Centralia, we would like to invite you to also support the Providential Republic of Centralia and coordinate with us your support.

As far as our goals, the best case scenario for us is a divided Centralia with the Providential Republic of Centralia being one of the successor states. That would create an ally for us in the region, make sure our ally continues to need us for their security and is unable to spread its influence aboard. As I said, we have serious concerns about the Providential Republic of Centralia and we would like to see them contained to Centralia.
The most likely scenario in our opinion is that by providing support to the Providential Republic of Centralia we are creating a thorn in the backside of the CSTO. We expect them to intervene military to impose a puppet government there. With our limited support to the Providential Republic we hope to make their job harder. A Centralia under the sphere of influence of CSTO is something we want to avoid or delay as much as possible.”

Yeva paused to give Basil a chance to reply and see what he was to say.

Offline Geo

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Re: The Emerald Brotherhood (Nis and Samantra)
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2022, 11:49:52 PM »
Basil nodded along to his guest's OPEN comments, however made a mental note to chase the issue up with his Barons, who might present a different opinion.

He was startled at Stas' sudden intervention. He had assumed that it would be obvious that Samantran companies would receive the same rights to foreign investment, but quickly realised he most likely knew this, but wanted to understand the specifics.

"Of course," he said, "Samantran companies are just as welcome as any others, maybe more so. All private companies have the right to invest in the industries of Nis, however the company must be independent, not in the sense that it cannot be owned by another private company, just that it must not be state owned, controlled or directed. Companies such as Abstergo for example are out, unless otherwise explicitly invited in."

He found the prospect of a Rus League intriguing, and nodded along.

"This Rus League is an interesting prospect. You can expect to see me there at this summit."

Now he turned to the matter of Centralia, coughing awkwardly.

"It's funny you should mention the Providential Republic, Nis has too been backing them throughout, with the Black Hand providing limited funding, arms and medical supplies, with the eventual goal of stabilising their position in the region, though not necessarily winning dominance over all of Centralia. I agree with your conclusions on the Federal Republic, a state in the sphere of CSTO is something that should be avoided if we have the power to do so, and the communists I believe are self explanatory. I propose that the Black Hand and the OPCS cooperate to better influence the situation; if this is agreeable to you I can put its head, Blagojević, in touch with the OPCS's."

He looked down at his notepad, and realised that they'd almost run to the end of the agenda.

"There is something else I wish to discuss. Our mutual neighbour, Chistopol is pagan, a situation that I find disagreeable. However, I intend to initiate talks with said neighbour in the near future, talks that would hopefully include the prospect of allowing missionaries safe and easy access to spread the faith, provided that we can work out such an agreement. In the event that such an agreement is established, I would be honoured if the Holy Kingdom joined with Nis to attempt to proselytise the people of Chistopol."

Allowing the Samantran delegation to respond, he asked if there was anything else they wished to discuss.

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Re: The Emerald Brotherhood (Nis and Samantra)
« Reply #17 on: July 13, 2022, 06:58:14 PM »
“I am glad we are on the same side then” said Yeva while smiling. “I think cooperation on the matter between our two agencies is in our mutual interest so please do, Your Majesty”

“Your dedication to the faith is exemplary, Your Majesty.  When you succeed, because I have no doubt that will happen, Samantra will gladly join Nis in the effort.”

With that the Samantran delegation was done with their agenda.

OOC: I have covered everything I had for the meeting. If there is anything else we can continue otherwise it’s one more RP you completed, Geo.   

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Re: The Emerald Brotherhood (Nis and Samantra)
« Reply #18 on: July 13, 2022, 08:33:09 PM »
Basil nodded and sat up. He was satisified with the meeting's results, and lead the group out, where they dined, and then spent the rest of the evening watching a production of Hamlet in the National Theatre in the Grand City.

With the diplomatic visit over, the Samantran delegation flew back home.