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(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/615218075918270497/618940381064724491/CSTO.png)
Headquarters of the Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation
(https://s4.postimg.cc/doiye9lvl/5172910244_40892af642.jpg)
Palace Ansemi, CSTO HQ
The Cross-Straits Treaty
Preamble:
The Parties to this Treaty reaffirm their faith in the principles of international order and stability, as well as their desire to live in peace with all peoples and all governments.
They are determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilisation of their peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. They seek to promote stability and well-being in the Cross-Straits area.
They are resolved to unite their efforts for collective defence and for the preservation of peace and security. They therefore agree to this Cross-Straits Treaty:
Article One:
The Parties undertake to settle any international dispute in which they may be involved by peaceful means in such a manner that the international peace, security and justice are not endangered, and to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the principles set forth by this Treaty.
Article Two:
The Parties will contribute toward the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations by strengthening their free institutions, by bringing about a better understanding of the principles upon which these institutions are founded, and by promoting conditions of stability and well-being. They will seek to eliminate conflict in their international economic policies and will encourage economic collaboration between any or all of them.
Article Three:
In order more effectively to achieve the objectives of this Treaty, the Parties, separately and jointly, by means of continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid, will maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack.
Article Four:
The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.
Article Five:
The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the Cross-Straits allies.
Article Six:
For the purpose of Article 5, an armed attack on one or more of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack:
On the territory of any of the Parties or on any territory under the jurisdiction of any of the Parties,
On the forces, vessels, or aircraft of any of the Parties, when in or over these territories or any other area in Mundus in which the forces of any of the Parties should be stationed or operating.
Article Seven:
Each Party declares that none of the international engagements now in force between it and any other of the Parties or any third State is in conflict with the provisions of this Treaty, and undertakes not to enter into any international engagement in conflict with this Treaty.
Article Eight:
The Parties hereby establish a Council, on which each of them shall be represented, to consider matters concerning the implementation of this Treaty. The Council shall be so organised as to be able to meet promptly at any time. The Council shall set up such subsidiary bodies as may be necessary; in particular it shall establish immediately a defence committee which shall recommend measures for the implementation of Articles 3 and 5.
Article Nine:
The Parties may, by unanimous agreement, invite any other State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the Cross-Straits area to accede to this Treaty. Any State so invited may become a Party to the Treaty by depositing its instrument of accession with the government hosting the council. The Chairperson of the CSTO will inform each of the Parties of the deposit of each such instrument of accession.
Article Ten:
This Treaty shall be ratified and its provisions carried out by the Parties in accordance with their respective constitutional processes. The instruments of ratification shall be deposited as soon as possible with the Government of the First Empire of Rokkenjima, which will notify all the other signatories of each deposit. The Treaty shall enter into force between the States which have ratified it as soon as the ratification of the majority of the signatories.
Article Eleven:
This Treaty shall be deposited in the archives of the Governments of the First Empire of Rokkenjima, the Kingdom of Tytor and the Kingdom of Novincia. Duly certified copies will be transmitted by the Founding Governments to new members of the CSTO upon their ascension.
Members
The First Empire of Rokkenjima**
The Kingdom of Dartfordia**
The Kingdom of Tytor*
The Kingdom of Novincia*
The Second Empire of Ikhan
The Holy Empire of Achkaerin
Members of the Joint Protectorate Sphere:
Observers:
Historic Members:
The Communist Paradise of Quinntopia**
The Armed Republic of Kazarovia**
The Federation of Elpidia
* = Founding Member
** = Original Founding Member
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Walking into the Palace again with the Flag of the Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation flying above brought about a great deal of nostalgia for the Empress.
"Friends, it's so good to meet with you here again under this roof. Our first order of business will be to select, through consensus, our first Secretary-General since the revival of the CSTO. To begin this process Rokkenjima would seek to nominate Retired Marshal Admiral Henry Cole, a man known to us all. Naturally I look forward to reviewing any candidates put forward by Tytor and Novincia, and am confident they, too, shall be just as qualified."
"Secondly, we must look to re-linking Tytor and Novincia into ICON; assuming both of your militaries still have assets which utilize the underlying technology this should be as simple as issuing new access keys to re-activate those assets. In addition, a new military installation upon Floodwater to increase ICON's radar capabilities in the Kyne, as well as additional satellites to increase ICON's space-based capabilities are all programs which the First Empire wishes to discuss with the Organisation."
"In addition, the First Empire shall seek to further ICON's radar capabilities through its positions in the Krimeon and Illumic, ensuring that our militaries maintain the ability to command a field of battle through information and instantaneous communications links. Should the Kingdom of Dartfordia rejoin the CSTO these capabilities would be expanded yet further."
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Virginia Cox, Tytorian ambassador to the CSTO, nodded in response to Beatrice's words. She'd been named to her post practically the moment the Cross-Straits Treaty had been ratified and, though still inexperienced, she had plenty of enthusiasm for her work.
"Yes, ICON is an important thing to prioritize," she said, "I believe Tytorian military equipment is still ICON-compatible, though of course I would have to check to be certain. As you say, though, the issue of secretary-general is definitely more pressing. Now, we all are very well aware of Admiral Cole's contributions to the good of the region, particularly Rokkenjima, but I have been instructed to nominate former Tytorian prime minister Reginald St. George for the position. I have a dossier[1] with me outlining St. George's qualifications. I'm sure you'll find him more than fit for the job."
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"A fitting candidate indeed," Beatrice smiled. "I would like to take this opportunity to introduce Rokkenjima's Liaison to the CSTO, although she should be a familiar face to many of you. Evanthe Rhodes, Princess of Arovium," she continued as Evanthe joined them.
"Thank you," Evanthe said as she sat beside Beatrice. "As I'm sure many of you know it's been quite some time since I've been involved with the Imperial Government, the past few years I've spent in Seaforth and Somerset have brought both much joy and great challenges, however, I'm happy to be home and working with the CSTO as my first Rokkenjiman assignment since my return home."
"With the High Admiral and St. George being considered, I am eager to see if Novincia has someone in mind as well? Regardless of whom we select I am confident in their abilities and the confidence of their nations in putting them forward."
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OOC: We can establish the role of Secretary-General and other issues at a later time. However, there are matters which need to be addressed, so bear with me!
Evanthe took charge of the room with a solemn look, "As you all know the Kingdom of Tytor has been the target of a multi-pronged terrorist attack which has claimed between 2,000-5,000 lives. I offer my condolences to our allies while reassuring them that, just as in the best of times, the First Empire stands with Tytor in these dark hours. With that being said I hereby call for the Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation to invoke Article V of the Cross-Straits Treaty, recognizing this as an attack upon our allied nations, while making it absolutely clear that the CSTO shall act swiftly, vigilantly and without mercy in the defence of our Tytorian allies. Following that, the CSTO shall make a statement and begin coordinating operations toward aiding our Tytorian allies in any manner they should require."
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Evanthe:
"As we consider the situation in Nueva Ardia naturally we should wish to see a new, independently verifiable referendum, to gauge the true support for the continuation of the Melos regime. This is a development which he is keen to prevent which leads me to believe he cannot be certain the results of a verifiable referendum would be as assured as one operated under the institutions of his government. Secondly, we should also consider the payments which Toshikawa has ceased paying to Nueva Ardians impacted by their genocide; the First Empire is prepared to utilize funds from the International Development Grant Program to see them restored, but only once a referendum has taken place and we can be certain the funds are helping those they are intended for. As for Melos himself, while questioning his legitimacy following the recent referendum is certainly a legitimate exercise, looking to the past may yield yet further answers."
"The First Empire believes that it is worth looking into the period of history following th Nueva Ardian monarchy. Following Claudio Penultimo suffering a coup at the hand of his brother, who was later assassinated, we can track Mr. Melos' rise to power. Combing through what facts are available requires additional investigation to fill in the holes which exist from that era, which is why I propose a joint investigation with the Achkaerinese to determine the extent of Mr. Melos' actions at the time, and whether or not he was involved in the assassination that seems to have propelled him to power. Make no mistake that this will be a major undertaking given the gaps we have already noticed in documented events, however, I am confident that the combined efforts of our agencies shall bring light to shed upon what truly transpired."
"For these purposes I would propose we invite a representative of the Achkaerinese intelligence services to join us in this pursuit."
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"The Kingdom of Tytor has no objections to involving Achkaerinese intelligence assets," Cox said, nodding gravely, "Given recent events, it might even be advisable for the Achkaerinese to take point on such an investigation. We don't need the CSTO's concerns dismissed as a mere fringe opinion; the more international the objection to Melos's heavy-handedness, the more pressure he'll feel to actually be transparent in his actions. That said," she continued thoughtfully, "We'll want to tread carefully with this. The situation in Nueva Ardia being as volatile as it is, things could blow up very quickly if we're too heavy-handed ourselves."
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"Indeed," Evanthe nodded, "While Melos responds with heavy hands it would be prudent for us to respond with a delicate touch. I'll thus make the arrangements for a representative from the Holy Empire to join us here," she continued, making the necessary phone call.
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There was one advantage to current circumstances around Pyrena - it meant that it didn't take much to get a member of Achkaerinese intelligence into a meeting in Rokkenjima in terms of logistics. It was a simple car journey for Kayleigh Pryde (https://independentorder.net/index.php?topic=49.msg672#msg672) to get to the CSTO HQ, she was presently responsible for the security of the Anselmo family and was waiting to read the Anausa report that was due in the next few days. She'd had to go via the airport to pick up Eve Acheson (https://independentorder.net/index.php?topic=49.msg260#msg260) the junior Royal Counsel, the Achkaerinese Emperor had wanted a legal mind on the case.
"Kayleigh Pryde and Eve Acheson" Kayleigh said to the receptionist "I believe we're expected."
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"Yes, right this way," the receptionist said as she led them to the the Organisation's meeting chambers.
"So glad you could join us on such short notice," Evanthe said as the two entered the room. "To condense what has been discussed thus far, we've determined that the heavy-handed actions of Mr. Melos need to be met with a delicate, but meaningful, response. Seeing a referendum take place under an independently verifiable mechanism is a key goal here, although we also believe there may be more questions regarding the legitimacy Mr. Melos enjoys beyond his recent, shall we term them, constitutional maneuvers. Thus we have agreed that an investigation alongside the Holy Empire is the best path forward, along with coordinating a diplomatic response between CSTO nations and the Achkaerinese."
"If I have missed anything, I'm certain Ms. Cox will be certain to go over them. Looking back at the period of time when Melos rose to power one can see a multitude of holes in history, with several tangents missing or beyond our present purview. Discovering just what truly happened in that time may present a key piece of the puzzle, and aid us in assuring that the Nueva Ardian people truly have a representative voice in their governance."
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"I'm going to stop you right there." Kayleigh said "I want to make something very clear from the start we're talking primarily about events that took place five years ago in 2015. Events that were investigated at the time by Achkaerinese Intelligence. What examining that again allows is a fresh look at whether or not Melos was part of action that saw the Nueva Ardian Royal family ousted. It does not give any indication as to the legitimacy of the recent referendum in Nueva Ardia and it does not indicate what if any heavy handedness Melos may have engaged in. My responsibility here is to walk you through the history of five years ago, Eve Acheson here is the Junior Royal Counsel to the Achkaerinese Royal Family which in short makes her a very good legal professional her job is to explain the legalities."
Kayleigh took a breath before continuing
"So very briefly the history. The area that is presently the sovereign territory of Nueva Ardia is the ancestral home of the Andean People as they're called, we're talking tribes ruled by a leader and such. Over time that manifested into a Monarchy, the Ardian Empire then occupied those lands. Following the signing of the Treaty of Gowu in 1946[1] the Ardian Empire was dismantled and borders of states were drawn, Nueva Ardia as it is territory wise came into being, and given the history and culture it wasn't surprising that it became a Kingdom.
So to 2015, Claudio Penultimo was the King of Nueva Ardia and he was terminally ill, it was at this point that Claudio had those he trusted within his circle as it were to track down his children - of which there are four in age order these are Janelle Scrivens, Maki Hamer, Sora Aozora and Colton Statham each of them hidden away across Mundus. Two of them, the eldest two, were found before things got messy - Abran Penultimo, Claudio's brother, ousted Claudio in a coup, Maki went to Nueva Ardia with appropriate protection because she was interested in what Nueva Ardia was like, she met Abran and while they were conversing Abran was assassinated by a sniper, we've never been able to track down the sniper though Achkaerinese intelligence is working on it.
The immediate aftermath of that event is fairly well known to some of you - Nueva Ardia went to the CTO and accused Achkaerin of assassinating Abran, resulting in the resolution that condemned Achkaerin, a resolution since stricken when we proved we didn't do it. However the assassination did the damage because it created a power vacuum and soon thereafter Melos rose to power and has been President ever since."
"Now what we don't know as stated earlier is the extent of Melos's involvement in either the assassination itself or the events surrounding it." Eve said "It could be murder, it could be conspiracy to commit murder we just don't know. Questions?"
OOC - very brief OOC explanation, everything stated in this post is ICly correct as far as I'm aware when it comes to the history because that is what was posted at the time. It has never been posted anywhere that Melos was involved in the assassination of Abran as such anything in that regard is hypothetical. This is because Gadshack RP'd NA up to the resolution of the assassination and condemnation then NA took a break for a few months when it came back in late 2015 Melos was President. So it's up to Dave to determine what the extent of Melos's involvement is if any.
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Cox had to resist the temptation to raise her hand before speaking. Pryde reminded her forcefully of a professor she'd had while studying for her bachelor's degree. "Just to make sure I understand the situation," she said, "Let's assume for the moment that Melos had something to do with Abran's assassination. Where does that leave us? If he, in effect, took power by subterfuge, does this give us more reason to suspect him of falsifying subsequent votes? Or will it even affect the Nueva Ardia crisis at all? Hypothetically speaking, of course."
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It was Eve who answered
"Legally speaking if it was shown that Melos had been involved in Abran's assassination then as I said that's conspiracy to commit murder, probably also treason but we'll leave that out of it for now, the point being that it's a definitive criminal act which he can be pursued for and also could raise questions as to his legitimacy in the first place - profiting from a bad act. In terms of the second question if you were able to show a criminal involvement and prosecute Melos successfully then you in effect remove him from the board, now that's good in some respects but also potentially very bad without a solid amount of future thinking in terms of what happens next in Nueva Ardia. Now does any of that mean that he's potentially falsified votes? Well it's certainly something that could be looked at and if we do the one to look at is not the recent referendum but the 2019 presidential election, because if you believe he's responsible for polling stations closing early and shenanigans with the electoral register in a referendum held in late 2019 then it becomes possible that he has employed similar tactics in a Presidential election earlier in 2019. Once can be explained away as a logistical problem but if it's more than one vote then it's a pattern. Find the pattern if it exists and you add another string to your bow for the purposes of potentially getting this referendum re-run."
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"As we recognize the history of the Cross-Straits System, one fact which has long been considered an oddity of the progression of its evolution is the separation between the Organisation and the Union. With the permission of my colleagues I would wish to invite representatives from the Union to our headquarters to discuss a process which would see these institutions merge under one common banner: the Cross-Straits Organisation. This process will see the heritage and history of our institutions preserved while, at the same time, forging a stronger and more capable institution which is geared to address those matters of the present era."
"Upon acceptance of this proposal I will dispatch an invitation to both Achkaerin and Lakhzovia so we may join together and discuss what this new, unified, future will look like."
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"The Lakhzov Republic is thankful for the invitation and the opportunity to discuss the potential merger of the CSU and CSTO, as a newly accepted member of the former we hope not to come across as disagreeable, however we have some minor concerns that we would like some clarification on before we would be able to support such a unification.
Our primary concern is with some of the implications of article five. While we have no objection to the principle of viewing attacks on one member as an attack against all it is our view that this should be only in the case of unprovoked attack or where the attacker is the clear aggressor. The Lakhzov Republic would not be comfortable with a situation, for example, where a member state had pursued an aggressive and provocative policy that had increased tensions to the point where another nation made a preemptive strike upon their forces. That is not to say that we accuse any of the current members of being predisposed to try to enforce their will on others through intimidation tactics, blockades and threats of invasion, however we feel that in the case that a member state were to pursue such an approach to a non-member state we could not in good conscience use that nation's act of self-defence as a pretext for war on the basis of article five.
Now it is my hope that article one and eight provide a resolution to this concern, in that by article one member states would be required to attempt peaceful means of resolution in the first instance, and that failing this that under article eight a full meeting of the Council would discuss potential escalation so that any aggressive pressure tactics were endorsed by the organisation as a whole. It is our opinion that if a member were to pursue such a course of action without consultation or agreement of the Council that any attack resulting from it would not meet the threshold to activate article five.
If someone could confirm or clarify our understanding of this mechanism we would greatly appreciate it as it will be critical in helping us formulate our position on the merger."
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Crown Princess Serenity (https://independentorder.net/index.php?topic=49.msg170#msg170) was no stranger to this sort of meeting she listened attentively to the Lakhzovian and nodded, she had similar concerns and was happy to hear them raised.
"In my view we have two primary parts to this concept of merging the two organisations, the first is what our Lakhzovian friends have begun by asking for clarifications in that this will ensure we're all on the same page and same understanding before moving forward. So the first stage is to clarify concerns and then the second is to formulate how this potential merger might work and what the finished product would look like." Serenity said "To the first, I have concerns similar to those just raised, in that article five and article six of the current CSTO charter do not make clear the circumstances under which the clause can be activated beyond an armed attack that occurs as per the definition of article six.
I will defer to Rokkenjima and Tytor for that clarification but as a hopefully helpful contribution I would say that when the CIS was in existence the understanding was that in order for the mutual defence clause to be activated, the attack against the member state had to be unprovoked. My other observation looking at this is that I'd like an understanding moving forwards that any military action undertaken under a Cross-Straits banner be compliant with the Uppsalla Convention, I don't believe that's too difficult to achieve here in a room where all our nations are signatories."
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"For Article V to be invoked, the understanding has always been similar as to that described for the CIS. Furthermore, compliance with the Uppsala Convention is something which we can ensure is codified in the Charter. Scenarios in which we would see the Articles employed would be employed, beyond the obvious, are in need of an update and that is a process we can explore at these discussions."
"Rokkenjima will leave the floor open for concerns, as well as discussion on the above mentioned topics," Princess Euphemia would say.
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"I think we are debating the wrong issue here," Prime Minister Thatcher, in attendance because of the seriousness of the issue, said, "My government does not believe that a merger between the CSTO and the CSU is in the best interests of either organization, as the two are different in both form and purpose. The Kingdom of Tytor values its sovereignty, which, as some here may remember, is the reason why Tytor never joined the CSU to begin with. With the political climate being what it is in Tsargrad, I feel I can say with some level of certainty that a full merger between the CSTO and the CSU would be voted down by the Tytorian Parliament, thus leaving Tytor isolated from those it considers friends. Therefore, I suggest we take an alternative route to accomplish the goal of this debate. Instead of merging the CSTO and the CSU into a single Cross-Straits Organization, I propose that we supercede them with a more inclusive Cross-Straits Community. This CSC, as I am sure we would inevitably call it, would serve as a formal umbrella organization, including the CSTO and the CSU as subsidiary organs. Membership in one of the subsidiaries would bestow membership in the Community, and I imagine would necessarily be a prerequisite to the same, but there would be no requirement for a CSC member to belong to both organs. In this way, we would be able to bolster correlation and cooperation between the two while simultaneously allaying the concerns of those who take issue with elements of one or the other, whether that be the CSU's economic requirements, the CSTO's mutual defense clause, or something else entirely. Make no mistake: I want to see this discussion bear fruit as much as anyone here; however, I feel that the pessimistic appraisal I have given you of my countrymen's likely reaction to the initial proposal is the only honest one I can offer."
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"I'm in agreement," Euphemia said once Thatcher had made her proposal. "Recognizing the historical separation of the two institutions, and the reasons for them, I believe that the proposed Cross-Straits Community is the best path forward. Preserving the present obligations for those who are a member of either Cross-Straits organisation, but have no interest in the other, allows for us to move forward in a manner which ensures the needs of all Cross-Straits nations are best met. I would recommend, at the very least, that we see between the two 'subsidiaries', a Foreign Affairs Commission to ensure cohesion between the CSU and the CSTO; if they are to be under one parent, it makes sense that, on some level, their views are aligned on when it comes to matters of international importance."
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Serenity sighed, it was common sense to ask for clarifications when nations were expanding their obligations wasn't it? Still at least they had that. Now the room had moved to the second question.
"An umbrella is possible and workable as far as I can tell however and I'll defer to the CSU Secretary General in a minute on this I would think that the CSC level itself would need to be the decision making body on the day to day stuff such as membership and administration of the 'organisation' and so on. So on that basis I think we're probably looking at taking the Cross Straits Council, Council of Head of States and the Cross Straits Commission out of the CSU and putting them at the CSC level, this way we don't have to reinvent or duplicate the wheel, Princess Euphemia talks about a commission let's use the commission we have it's got all the bases covered we just need the commissioners to be chairing relevant discussions and being spokespersons when required, let's put the decision making at the level of this body where all members across both subsidiaries are represented. We are I suspect looking at a rejig of the CSU as we move stuff around and a slight rewording on the CSTO in terms of what's been said." Serenity said "Secretary General?"
Lìosa Càidh (https://independentorder.net/index.php?topic=49.msg10131#msg10131), the Secretary General of the CSU looked up from her notes.
"I believe what is being discussed is achievable but I do think we'd need to separate elements of the Union out if this is to be done. I suspect that while some may not be fans of the CSFTA, they may like the idea of the funds the Union has so it makes sense to me that if the Union is to come under another banner that we separate elements out, one issue here would potentially be the Cross Straits Court of Justice however I'm confident we can work something out there. I think what needs to happen here is that we need to agree a working model for example so let's say we agree to the idea of the CSC, we'd need an agreement as in an initial treaty on how the community level works, I think we'd then want to table a summit to formalize what we agree here and to then discuss other things, because again I think the membership of the CSU that we've got here would have to go away and look at the CSU treaty and decide what elements could work in some way across the membership of the CSC, and I'd encourage the CSTO to do the same. However I think for right now we may want to treat this more as a concept idea rather than detail." Lìosa said
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Thatcher frowned. "That has the potential to completely ruin the point of keeping the CSTO and the CSU separate," she said, "The more you take out of the CSU to put at the higher level, the closer you get to simply having the CSU be the higher level, and then we run into the exact same problems with ratification that we had before. So let's not get too hasty with stripping down the CSU just yet; rather, let's instead take a look at what we want from integration and act from there."
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"You appear to misunderstand Prime Minister, though maybe a fair amount was lost in the delivery which I hope you'll forgive." Serenity said "The CSU is already fairly close to an umbrella organisation in its own right, however with the Cross Straits Community as the umbrella which is your proposal it becomes more advantageous for all of us to treat aspects of the CSU and the defence clause of the CSTO as independent subsidiary parts which nations can choose to participate in if they wish to do so. At the end of the day decision making at the community level is going to be required, most obviously because if a nation applies to join - under your proposal they're not applying to join the CSTO, they're not applying to join the CSU, they're applying to join the CSC, so membership decisions are community level. However the proposition to put elements presently in the CSU at the CSC level doesn't elevate the CSU to the higher level, because it's the community level all CSC members would have representation there, so Tytor would gain membership of that which is moved to Community level is what is being suggested. It's simply more efficient to move an already existing and experienced administrative body into place than create a new one. Perhaps if Ms Caidh were to give us a rough idea on paper of what she's envisioning?"
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Thatcher resisted the urge to throw up her hands in frustration. "Your Highness, I'm afraid it is you who misunderstands, not I," she said, "The very point of creating an umbrella organization, which you seem to have missed, is to allow its organs to retain their own membership rules. Under my proposal, a nation would not apply to join the Community, but rather either the CSTO or the CSU. Upon admission to one or the other, membership in the Community would then be automatic. The problem with your interpretation is that it has the potential to be just as threatening to those who preach national sovereignty as the CSU, and frankly I would not be able to sell it to Parliament. The people of Tytor are not looking for additional councils and commissions to belong to; these things would not be incentives, but deterrents to those in Parliament who are on the fence on this, not to mention those who are leery of the commitments Tytor has already. The present consensus at home is that Tytor does not need those aspects of the Cross-Straits Union which you have suggested would move up to the Cross-Straits Community -- if it did, then why wouldn't Tytor have already joined the CSU? If we are proposing making things like the Cross-Straits Court of Justice a requirement for membership in the CSTO, then I will see a parliamentary revolt not only from the opposition, but from members of my own governing coalition, no matter how eloquently I may speak on their behalf. So, again, let's not start from the idea that we'll be trying to make the CSC as much like the CSU as we can, and instead talk about what is absolutely essential in the interest of greater correlation between the CSU and the CSTO, and go from there. Otherwise, we risk getting ahead of ourselves and shooting for the moon, only to find that we don't even have the range to hit the clouds."
OOC: In case it's not abundantly obvious here, Thatcher is not personally opposed to the CSU and its parts; if it were up to her, Tytor would have signed up four years ago. But it's not up to her. As a political pragmatist, Thatcher would like very much to return home with something Parliament will find palatable, which is why she is so firmly resisting her own preferred scenario. Oh, and using the Council of Heads of State as an enticement for a nation with a purely ceremonial head of state smacks of research failure on Serenity's part; while King Michael would happily attend if invited, he (by what was largely his own choosing) would have no power to participate authoritatively as a representative of the Tytorian government or to act on anything the Council decided -- at best, he would watch the proceedings and relay the Council's decisions and his recommendations to the prime minister, who would then decide what to do with that information.
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Serenity almost rolled her eyes why did people always assume that changes weren't being made as they went along? All she was proposing was something akin to the CIS or even CNN but with changes in wording built in to ensure that nations weren't participating in areas they didn't want to.
"Your proposal does nothing other than maintain the current situation, but dress it up in a new frock. It doesn't put a link between the two organisation's, which is what is needed here, it doesn't ensure correlation whereas my method does and is nowhere near as threatening as you believe.
As far as I'm concerned there's no point in the Cross Straits Community existing as an entity in this unless it exists to do something, if it is the umbrella then it is the bridge and if it is the bridge then it handles the common interest matters, we're talking membership, administration, treaty amendments and so on. Now interestingly these are three of the four things the CSU discusses the fourth being matters such as sanctions, now all four of those things would now make much more sense to be determined at the community level, membership because if we're going to say that a nation is to attain membership of the CSC then it should be the community as a whole that makes the decision, the CSTO only has as members 50% of the nations in this room and the CSU has 75%, logically the community level has 100% so that definitely makes more sense to me. The administration stuff can easily be done by the Cross Straits Commission and I see no issue with that being how it is done, treaty amendments is a difficult one because again there's the membership spread but I'm confident there are solutions there. Sanctions are a common denominator across the CSU and CSTO so surely it's common sense to discuss them once at community level rather than have the same discussion twice in two different places and risk conflicting results.
The reality is that all the decisions that the CSU presently makes would make more sense to be done at the community level, because for one reason or another they would fall across both elements, which is why moving what would then be an obsolete decision making body to the community level makes sense. Now we could create a new body at community level to do this but the result would be the same in terms of decision making, and as any CSU rearrangement doesn't affect Tytor I don't see the issue here beyond a misunderstanding of my point which is simply that there are decisions, that to build and ensure correlation between the two existing Cross Straits organisations, should be taken at a community level."
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"If the proposal is to simply create an umbrella organisation in title alone but with full independence of both organisations then I am unsure of what the purpose of these discussions are. It seems that what Tytor is proposing is a purely cosmetic change that has no real implications for the actual functioning of either existing organisation, if such is the case then while we do not have any real objections we are left wondering what ultimate purpose is served in doing so?"
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"I think Prime Minister that you've thrown us off a little." Lìosa said "You've proposed an umbrella, specifically the Cross Straits Community and then in presenting the idea suggested that:
This CSC, as I am sure we would inevitably call it, would serve as a formal umbrella organization, including the CSTO and the CSU as subsidiary organs. Membership in one of the subsidiaries would bestow membership in the Community, and I imagine would necessarily be a prerequisite to the same, but there would be no requirement for a CSC member to belong to both organs. In this way, we would be able to bolster correlation and cooperation between the two while simultaneously allaying the concerns of those who take issue with elements of one or the other, whether that be the CSU's economic requirements, the CSTO's mutual defense clause, or something else entirely.
Use of the word subsidiary conjures up the images of for example different parts of a company, to some extent they're independent but all answerable to the top and all part of the same whole company. So my understanding of that and I would guess that of the Crown Princess and in fact presumably the Princess of Rokkenjima and judging off the last comment our Lakhzovian friend is that the CSC as analogous to the parent company would hold the power.
Now my understanding of the discussion on that proposal is that Crown Princess agrees with most of it but would suggest breaking apart aspects of the CSU which has the potential to bolster correlation and cooperation between the members and she has an issue with the membership situation in that she thinks that it should be reversed, I can understand why that's a reasonable idea because the potential of one of the CSTO or CSU to admit a member and thereby that member to part of the CSC could be akin to letting a fox into the henhouse I think it more than fair that the entirety of the CSC membership be able to take that decision collectively. Also like our colleague from Lakhzovia I am wondering why the CSC is even proposed if it's not going to do anything, what authority does it have? How is it going to make sure that the various elements are all on the same page? These are the two key questions in this, the Crown Princess's suggestion does answer these by giving the community level the decision making authority but what we've not heard so far is what the purpose of the CSC is in this respect as far as the Prime Minister intends."
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The course of the conversations had roused Evanthe to the Chambers who, after being briefed on the discourse to this point took a seat next to Euphemia.
"I recognize the concerns and points of view which have been presented thus far. I believe that we've seen a great compromise as we've moved from a merger between the Union and the Organisation to the "umbrella" of the Cross-Straits Community. I believe we should see the Community addressing matters of membership and handling any amendments which should be necessary as the Community grows and evolves, while seeing that institutions to address present organs at the Community level are sorted so we can have an effective organisation which addresses the concerns of Prime Minister Thatcher while meeting the needs and goals of our friends in the Union."
"I believe that the efforts presented thus far preserve the conditions which are being sought by the Kingdom, though if there's anything which should be elaborated upon now that I am in the room I would be interested in hearing such issues. Clearly defining decision making responsibilities at the levels where they are appropriate, and sorting the institutions out, should resolve things nicely and we'll all be able to return to our governments with results that will establish for us a Community which best meets our respective needs."
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"I think what we've got here is a situation where we're in need of considering the key issue of how we ensure that the CSTO and CSU keep as much of their independence as possible but don't end up contradicting each other. We all understand this but have different opinions on how far that needs to go and I suspect this is guided by what we need to achieve in order to get it through our respective legislative bodies. The CSC as the umbrella becomes the leadership level and therefore the oversight level of the community as a whole. So it occurs to me that perhaps the best way of constructing the bridge between the CSU and CSTO begins by putting the respective leaderships at the community level and having them lead from there, decision making can still be made at the lower level but perhaps leadership should not be of one or the other but of the community as a whole. We should also possibly consider a bare bones diplomatic set of obligations and some basic administration points to go into the community level something perhaps like this." Serenity said, while she'd been talking she'd been writing away in her notebook
Cross-Straits Community Proposal
Part I:Definitions
1. The Cross-Straits Community (CSC) is a term defined as the combined membership total of all Cross-Straits bodies.
2. A Cross Straits body is any organisation that has the term "Cross-Straits" in its name.
3. The current list of Cross-Strait bodies (not including the CSC) are:
- The Cross-Straits Union (Economic)
- The Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation (Defence)
Part II: Leadership and Administration
4. The Cross-Straits Secretariat shall be the leadership body of the CSC, it shall be led by a Secretary General who shall internationally represent the CSC.
5. The Secretary General shall be elected by the Cross-Straits Community for a term of one year.
6. The Cross-Straits Commission shall be the administration body of the CSC, it shall be led by a Chief Commissioner who shall be the chief administrator of the Community and Commissioners responsible for specific portfolios, the Commissioners shall report to the Secretary General and the membership as necessary. The full list of Commission portfolios shall be:
- Chief Commissioner
- Commissioner of Foreign Affairs
- Commissioner of International Aid and Development
- Commissioner of Defence
- Commissioner of Justice
- Commissioner for Economy and Finance
- Commissioner for the Internal Market and Trade
- Commissioner for Agriculture and the Environment
- Commissioner for Climate Change
- Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
- Commissioner for Home and Cultural Affairs
- Commissioner of Science and Innovation
- Commissioner for Health
- Commissioner for Education and Youth
7. Members of the Cross-Straits Secretariat and Cross-Straits Commission shall be regarded as representatives of the CSC and not any one nation.
Part III Powers and Obligations of the Cross-Straits Community
8. Cross-Straits Community member states agree to maintain active embassies with each other and to have their ambassadors present themselves promptly (within 24 hours) upon receipt of an official summons by another members government.
9. Cross-Straits Community member states agree to settle disputes arising between them by peaceful means when at all possible using the Secretariat or Commission as a mediator if required.
10. There shall be held annually a Cross-Straits Summit to which all CSC members shall be invited, the venue shall be determined by the CSC membership.
11. Only a decision of the Cross-Straits Community can create a new Cross-Straits body or alter the provisions of this document.
Part 4 Miscellaneous
12. The Cross-Straits Community and other Cross-Straits bodies shall be headquartered at ___________
"Now in terms of the application of this we'd be seeing the CSU have to amend its treaty to remove articles relevant to the Commission and diplomatic policy, on the CSTO side this would see the Commissioner of Defence having to be across what the CSTO is doing so it may be worth that commissioner being permitted to sit in on CSTO sessions. I'd also suggest the CSTO amend its charter to include the Uppsalla provision mentioned earlier as well as maybe clear up the article on the defence trigger, but that's an issue for the CSTO.
Apart from that it's down to determining where the organisation so to speak is to be based and then to consider whether Achkaerin and Lakhzovia might if they're willing join the CSTO as this would go some way to creating a core group and ensuring the cooperation and collaboration across both bodies we currently have."
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"The First Empire fully supports the direction this proposal is taking," Evanthe replied. "I'm certain we can see an Uppsala provision adopted by the CSTO; it's been an informal understanding that we operate within the provisions of Uppsala, but having it formally stated would be preferable. Clearly stating that self-defense is a perquisite for the Articles in question should also be a fairly straight-forward process for the Organisation to tackle."
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"Lakhzovia is supportive of the Achkaerin proposal and has no objections."
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Thatcher looked the proposal over carefully before reacting to it. "I think," she said hesitantly, "That I should be able to sell this revised document to Parliament. However, there are some alterations I would make to the proposal as it stands. In place of section 2, I would substitute the following: 'A Cross-Straits body is defined as any organization included under the provisions of this treaty.' In place of section 11, I would substitute this: 'This document may be amended by vote of the CSC's membership, whether to alter this provisions herein contained or to define additional Cross-Straits bodies as the membership sees fit.' I will confess a lack of opinion on whether that vote should be a simple majority or a supermajority, but I would like to avoid requiring it to be unanimous. I would also adjust section 10 to allow for the calling of extraordinary or emergency summits if necessary, though I am uncertain on the language I would use to accomplish that. Beyond these concerns, this proposal has my tentative support, and I find the vast majority of my objections addressed."
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Serenity quickly took the 'red pen' to the piece of paper she'd written on earlier and then wrote in Thatcher's suggestions, they were helpful and didn't alter the purpose of the relevant provisions. "So accounting for Prime Minister Thatcher's very helpful suggestions we have the following." Serenity said
Cross-Straits Community Proposal
Part I:Definitions
1. The Cross-Straits Community (CSC) is a term defined as the combined membership total of all Cross-Straits bodies.
2. A Cross-Straits body is defined as any organization included under the provisions of this treaty.
3. The current list of Cross-Strait bodies (not including the CSC) are:
- The Cross-Straits Union (Economic)
- The Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation (Defence)
Part II: Leadership and Administration
4. The Cross-Straits Secretariat shall be the leadership body of the CSC, it shall be led by a Secretary General who shall internationally represent the CSC.
5. The Secretary General shall be elected by the Cross-Straits Community for a term of one year.
6. The Cross-Straits Commission shall be the administration body of the CSC, it shall be led by a Chief Commissioner who shall be the chief administrator of the Community and Commissioners responsible for specific portfolios, the Commissioners shall report to the Secretary General and the membership as necessary. The full list of Commission portfolios shall be:
- Chief Commissioner
- Commissioner of Foreign Affairs
- Commissioner of International Aid and Development
- Commissioner of Defence
- Commissioner of Justice
- Commissioner for Economy and Finance
- Commissioner for the Internal Market and Trade
- Commissioner for Agriculture and the Environment
- Commissioner for Climate Change
- Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
- Commissioner for Home and Cultural Affairs
- Commissioner of Science and Innovation
- Commissioner for Health
- Commissioner for Education and Youth
7. Members of the Cross-Straits Secretariat and Cross-Straits Commission shall be regarded as representatives of the CSC and not any one nation.
Part III Powers and Obligations of the Cross-Straits Community
8. Cross-Straits Community member states agree to maintain active embassies with each other and to have their ambassadors present themselves promptly (within 24 hours) upon receipt of an official summons by another members government.
9. Cross-Straits Community member states agree to settle disputes arising between them by peaceful means when at all possible using the Secretariat or Commission as a mediator if required.
10. There shall be held annually a Cross-Straits Summit to which all CSC members shall be invited, the venue shall be determined by the CSC membership. An emergency summit may be held following a request from a CSC member or the CS Leadership.
11. This document may be amended by vote of the CSC's membership, whether to alter this provisions herein contained or to define additional Cross-Straits bodies as the membership sees fit. A vote of this nature shall require a two thirds majority.
Part 4 Miscellaneous
12. The Cross-Straits Community and other Cross-Straits bodies shall be headquartered at ___________
"In regards to section 11 I have suggested it be the super majority method because in most cases when we talk about amendments to national constitutions and international treaties we talk about super majorities." Serenity said "In terms of article 10 like the Prime Minister I'm not 100% certain on the wording of that addition but I agree it's something to factor in which is what I've attempted to do in essence any member or the Secretariat can request the emergency summit which I believe in practical terms would cover it. If this be agreeable to all may I suggest we formalize it?"
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"The First Empire has no objections to the document in its present form."
"As for the matter of headquarters arrangements I believe that the present headquarters of the Cross-Straits Union in Ashinxao makes the greatest sense," Evanthe continued. "Not only was it purpose-built to serve the Cross-Straits System and already has the staff and representatives of the Union present and familiar with it, it was also designed with the notion that, one day, the CSU and CSTO may operate under one roof, thus the facilities exist within the complex to serve both the Union and the Organization, with room for bodies which may yet be created or brought under the Cross-Straits 'roof'. In addition, Ashinxao is well connected and serves the Headquarters with data capabilities backed by one of the most robust internet infrastructures in Mundus. Thus, utilizing the present Headquarters of the Union will allow the Cross-Straits Community to hit the ground running, so to say, as the Union and Organization begin to operate under this new Charter."
(https://i.postimg.cc/9F1MDQ19/Covenant-Proposal.jpg)
Cross-Straits Union Complex, Ashinxao, Azukishima Prefecture, Rokkenjima.
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"Lakhzovia has no objections to the proposed amendments."
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"As it stands, I have no further concerns," Thatcher said, "As far as section 10 goes, I think the new wording is adequate. If we find otherwise in the future, we can always amend it to work better."
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"Ok then." Serenity said picking up a pen and looking around the table "As we have an agreement I believe we can sign this and then hand the matter of ratification to our respective legislatures." she smiled as she put her signature at the bottom of the agreement.
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"With any luck," Thatcher said as she took the pen from Serenity, "We're ushering in a new era of international cooperation. May it be a long one." She signed below the Achkaerinese crown princess.
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"On behalf of the Rokkenjiman People, I am pleased to affix my signature," Evanthe said as she added her signature. "May our cooperation always serve the common, greater good."
(https://i.postimg.cc/YqdVY79d/Evanthe.png)
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"Lakhzovia hereby affixes our signature to this document"
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With the discussions winding down in regards to the Cross-Straits Community the attention of the CSTO turned to another matter: Ikhan.
"The First Empire believes that Ikhan would serve as a natural partner, given their positions on key foreign issues as well as their cordial relationship with the First Empire. If it would please my fellow CSTO members, I would like to invite a representative from Ikhan for a brief conversation, after which we may vote on their membership."
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"The Kingdom of Tytor has no objection to this proposal, and hereby seconds it. The Kingdom of Tytor also moves that similar invitations be extended to Lakhzovia and Achkaerin."
OOC: As the individual placed in charge of Novincia in Novi's absence, I hereby note Novincia's support for both of these proposals and the CSC. In the case of the latter, we can assume Novincian ratification of the charter.
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(https://i.postimg.cc/g0hr9Bpk/Cross-Straits-Header.png)
An Invitation To The Second Empire of Ikhan
Following discussion between the membership of the Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation we have determined to extend an invitation to the Second Empire to ascend into the Organisation. At your earliest convenience we would wish to invite a representative from the Second Empire to the Cross-Straits Headquarters for a meeting, after which the CSTO membership will vote on your membership, should you desire to join.
We look forward to meeting with you.
(https://i.postimg.cc/g0hr9Bpk/Cross-Straits-Header.png)
An Invitation To The Holy Empire Of Achkaerin And The Republic Of Lakhzovia
As the Cross-Straits Community continues to take shape we, the membership of the Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation have determined that should the Holy Empire or the Republic desire membership in the Organisation we would be willing to convene, and vote, upon such membership matters. If membership is desired please inform me at your earliest convenience, after which we shall effect the necessary votes to extend membership.
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(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/392478413111296013/766157270085926952/ikhanstamp.png)
Re: Invitation to the Cross-Straits Treaty Organization
The Ministry of Foreign affairs has received your invitation and has thus reported the offer to the Office of the Prime Minister. In keeping with his directives, we are pleased to accept this invitation and are willing to schedule a meeting at your headquarters whenever is convenient for you. At such an occasion, I am willing to attend this meeting on behalf of the Second Empire as the representative of her peoples until a deal may be made, preferably with the result of our accession to the organization. I look forwards to this meeting and hope that it shall be most fruitful for both parties.
—Israi Kasuk, State Minister of Foreign Affairs
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Minister Kasuk was greeted upon their arrial and shown to the appropriate chambers.
"Thank you for joining us today," they were greeted with upon their seating, "that Ikhan has graced is with their presence is welcoming. During these proceedings we will address a matter or two of concern, prior to the CSTO voting upon Ikhan's admission into the CSTO. Before we begin, do you have any questions, or perhaps a statement you would wish to make?"
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"No questions, thank you. However, I do, if you don't mind, wish to say that it is an honour to be here among your company." Israi said with a smile and a nod. "Now then, if that's all, then may we begin?" He then said; his voice was calm even though it was ever-so-slightly more difficult to understand him due to his accent.
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"Very well then. As you are aware the CSTO has highlighted the Second Empire as a state which shares many of the values upon which the CSTO was founded upon. This, in addition to cordial relations with the First Empire, has resulted in the extension of an invitation to the Second Empire for consideration as a member of the Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation."
"One area of concern we have is lingering issues of discrimination which seem pervasive in some provincial governments in regards to the Ardian community. As an MCUR signatory, what is the Second Empire doing to address these issues, especially those which point to systemic elements of discrimination?"
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"Well, as it stands we have taken great strides towards handling such issues; For instance, as of 1972 the National Assembly passed legislation that outlawed discrimination based on ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, and colour. Unfortunately, some provinces, especially those heavily affected by the Ardian Occupation between 1868 and 1928, have had difficulty in keeping with that. While discrimination is still present among some circles, we are proud to say that it has largely been eliminated in most provincial governments. Indeed, the governor of the Khushai province is, himself, a member of the Ikhani Ardian community, elected back in 2018. Nonetheless, we are still working towards fully eliminating the issue by implementing further anti-discrimination laws including those regarding our Ardian Minority while also offering state-sponsored classes to further eliminate the issue. Unfortunately, however, we know better than to expect that the problem will just 'go away'. The prejudices of older generations will continue to fester without further action, though by what means are as of yet undecided by the National Assembly."
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"Quite understandable," came the reply, "We've many in the border region with Toshikawa who hold onto prejudices, leaving us to take those actions we may to pave the road for a better future for all Peoples we are responsible for. I'm satisfied that action has been taken, and is actively being taken, to continue to address this issue."
"I shall leave the floor open for our colleagues to present any questions they may have, thank you."
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"I do have a few questions, mostly in regard to current affairs. To start off, Minister Kasuk, what is your nation's stance on the issue some might refer to as freedom of navigation? Specifically, where does Ikhan stand in regards to the stopping of vessels on the high seas upon suspicion of criminal activity or human rights abuses?
"In the same vein, what does the government of Ikhan consider its role to be in relation to human rights abuses in other countries? This is, by design, a general question, though it is spurred by the present place of freedom of religion in the worldwide public debate.
"Third and, for now, final, the CSTO is first and foremost a military alliance. As such, its members are expected to provide for the common defense of the entire organization. As a prospective member of the CSTO, what do you feel Ikhan brings to the table in that regard? More importantly, how prepared is Ikhan to coordinate with its future allies in the pursuit of peace and security both within the alliance and around the world?"
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"On the first question, I wish to state that we believe that a vessel's right of passage through our waters are guaranteed by the Fair Seas Concordat, to which we are party and comply with. As for the stopping of vessels under suspicion of criminal activity or human rights abuses, such protocols are also only to be used in keeping with the provisions of the Fair Seas Concordat, specifically article 110-1 which allows a warship which encounters a foreign vessel on the high seas, other than a ship afforded to complete immunity under articles 95 and 96, is not justified in boarding unless there is reasonable ground for suspecting that the ship is involved in piracy, the slave trade, is engaged in unauthorized broadcasting and the flag State of the warship has jurisdiction under article 109, is without nationality, or though flying a foreign flag or refusing to show its flag, the ship is, in reality, of the same nationality as the warship. In cases where the vessel fulfills these required conditions, a boat under the command of an officer may be dispatched to the suspected ship. Should suspicion remain after checking the documents, it may proceed to a further examination onboard the ship, which must be carried out with all possible consideration. Otherwise, the ship will be compensated for any loss or damage that may have been sustained."
"As for your second question, it is the position of the Empire of Ikhan that we are diametrically opposed to any and all human rights abuses undertaken by any government, regardless of who undertakes it. As you may or may not know, we have watched the restrictions put into place on the freedom of religion by foreign powers such as Kopsje and Fleur with horror. After all, for most of our history, we have believed that the right to follow whatever faith one wishes should be protected and permitted to be practiced in the open, provided it does not break the laws of the land. As such, we are prepared to levy economic sanctions against said nations, though military force is seen as an option of last resort only."
"As for your final question, we recognize that in the past, we have proven isolationist, especially during the reign of His Lordship, the Emperor-Emeritus, but nonetheless we believe that the Armed Forces of Ikhan should be kept in a state of readiness should war break out. Those resources would, should Ikhan join the CSTO, be available in operations undertaken by the organization. We are more than ready to coordinate with the CSTO in your most noble of pursuits."
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"If these answers are suitable, and no one wishes to follow up, I shall propose we move forward to a vote."
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"Seconded."
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"The First Empire of Rokkenjima votes to approve CSTO membership of the Second Empire of Ikhan."
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"The Kingdom of Tytor votes to approve CSTO membership for the Second Empire of Ikhan."
OOC note: As the player left in charge of Novincia's interactions with the outside world, I hereby register Novincia's vote in favor of Ikhan's membership as well.
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"With three votes in favour and one abstention, the Second Empire of Ikhan is officially recognized as a member of the Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation."
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(https://i.imgur.com/bwTm0Qn.png?1)
On the Invitation of the CSTO
The Crown and Cabinet of Achkaerin have met and discussed this invitation and we are honoured to accept the invitation. We do however make the CSTO aware that in the event of a vote to admit Achkaerin, the process would then require the ratification of the Senate. If the CSTO requires a meeting in advance of a vote we will send a representative to answer questions.
Signed
Emperor Peter Azurewind
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(https://i.postimg.cc/g0hr9Bpk/Cross-Straits-Header.png)
An Invitation To The Holy Empire Of Achkaerin And The Republic Of Lakhzovia
The CSTO recognizes these facts and looks forward to a representative of the Holy Empire joining us to answer questions, and pose any that should be held by the Achkaerinese. You may send a representative to the Headquarters of the CSTO at your earliest convenience, and we may begin.
Thank you;
Michael Kensington
Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation
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There was probably no surprise about who got the nod to go to CSTO headquarters to represent Achkaerin, first up Isabella Watson (https://independentorder.net/index.php?topic=49.msg1279#msg1279), she had been Achkaerin's ambassador to the Confederation of Independent States and this was her type of arena, she had plenty of experience in dealing with crises then and she'd kept her hand in the game so to speak in the years since. She was accompanied by someone who would be better known to the room Nettie Taylor (https://independentorder.net/index.php?topic=49.msg181#msg181), the one time Premier of Rokkenjima, the one time Rokkenjima Imperial Councillor of Foreign Affairs who had for around three years now worked as Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Achkaerinese Emperor. They both entered the room and took seats that they were directed to.
"Thank you for the invitation." Nettie said "I'm Nettie Taylor, the foreign affairs advisor to the Emperor of Achkaerin. This is Isabella Watson, she's Achkaerin's former ambassador to the CIS and she has some experience with the CTO." the introductions were mainly for the benefit of the Ikhan representative as the others likely knew who the two women were. "We're happy to answer any questions you have."
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Mr. Kensington had heard much about the two women around the halls of Pyrena Castle, so he was familiar with their histories at least. For the discussions ahead they were most fitting choices.
"Ambassador Watson, Ms. Taylor, thank you for joining us here today," Kensington said as he took a seat. "I think I speak for the Rokkenjimans at least when I say that we're familiar with the Holy Empire and would likely vote to accept the Holy Empire if the vote were held at this moment. I think, however, the only matters I have are as follows: interoperability between ICON which, as you know, is a technology which is prevalent across CSTO militaries and allows for increased interoperability and a matter which the Empress requested me to address: our joint bases."
"I believe, if I'm remembering correctly, that there was a 'graft' program which was developed which saw ICON and SCION operating nearly seamlessly; what steps can we expect to see that program restarted as to ensure the historic interoperability and compatibility across the Organisation is maintained?"
"Secondly, the questions surrounding our respective Bases has figured greatly into discussions in Pyrena Castle. Empress Evanthe believes that, should the Holy Empire join the CSTO, we could see our Bases transition to Joint Military Facilities of the CSTO. This would see Antares become a part of the presently existing Joint Military Facility on Hoshiko Island and, likewise, would see QCMB transition to the service of the CSTO. Would this arrangement be agreeable to the Holy Empire?"
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"To answer the SCION question first." Nettie said "Interoperability can be easily re-established with Empress Evanthe on the throne and the Kirby report having been implemented the matters that gave rise to the disconnecting of the graft program no longer exist therefore that can be reintroduced quite quickly. In regards to the bases question that would be an acceptable arrangement however we would insist that any CSTO base on Achkaerinese soil be commanded by an Achkaerinese military officer just as I'm sure Rokkenjima would want command of a CSTO base on its soil to be under the command of a Rokkenjiman officer."
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Kensington nodded, "I do believe that's it for our questions. Naturally, when it comes to Joint Military Facilities command should be under an officer of the hosting nation; this is the arrangement which we see at Joint Military Facility Hoshiko."
"Any further questions?" he said as he looked to his colleagues.
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"If these answers are suitable, and no one wishes to follow up, let us vote."
"The First Empire of Rokkenjima votes to approve CSTO membership of the Holy Empire of Achkaerin."
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"Having reviewed the information provided and the questions answered by the representative from Achkaerin, it is my honour to vote in favour of permitting the nation's accession to the Cross-Straits Treaty Organization."
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"The Kingdom of Tytor votes to approve CSTO membership for the Holy Empire of Achkaerin."
OOC: Novincia may be regarded as voting in favor as well.
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"With four votes in favour and one abstention, the Holy Empire of Achkaerin is officially recognized as a member of the Cross-Straits Treaty Organisation."
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Proposed:
That the Cross-Straits Treaty Organization establish a Joint Military Facility at Northpoint, Floodwater IAR, Kingdom of Tytor; this facility will become Joint Military Facility Northpoint (JMF Northpoint).
That the Cross-Straits Treaty Organization establish a Strategic Auxiliary Command at a point to be determined (OOC: outside Aquilae, Decapolis - exact location is classified) in the Kingdom of Tytor; this facility will become Strategic Auxiliary Command Crystal Palace (SAC Crystal Palace).
Ambassador Virginia Cox circulated the proposal among the CSTO's delegates. "The Kingdom of Tytor has a desire to expand its participation in this alliance," she said, "We have existing facilities at Northpoint which we can easily adapt into a Joint Military Facility. Our proposal for a Strategic Auxiliary Command in Tytor arises from a concern that the CSTO as constituted is overly centralized; a successful surprise attack here at the CSTO's headquarters would effectively decapitate the alliance's ability to coordinate through official channels. Crystal Palace would effectively serve as a backup headquarters, staffed by officers from all CSTO members and with full access to ICON and other joint CSTO programs. Tytor is willing to handle the costs of construction for both facilities. Any questions? Objections?"
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"Having reviewed this proposal, I can safely say that the Empire of Ikhan has no objections to the matter at hand." The Ikhani ambassador to the organization, Israi Khotos (https://ikhan.freeforums.net/post/80), said in response to his Tytorian counterpart.
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"Achkaerin has no objections to either proposal as it stands." Isabella Watson (https://independentorder.net/index.php?topic=49.msg1279#msg1279) said "However Achkaerin would as we're talking about a fail safe scenario here, as a further back up or asset should it become necessary offer to station at both our main headquarters and the future SAC in Tytor a Night Owl (https://independentorder.net/index.php?topic=1660.msg14714#msg14714) aircraft which can provide a mobile base if we do need to evacuate or relocate this body. We'd also station an appropriate escort if it is agreeable."
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"No objections here," Mr. Kensington added. "Rokkenjima will continue to maintain JMF Hoshiko which we propose allows for our partners further afield, such as Achkaerin, to station forces and allow for a quick build-up and forwarding capacity to other JMFs in the Kyne region and the SAC."
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"If there are no objections, then I move that we put this to a vote," Cox said.
"The Kingdom of Tytor votes in favor of the proposal."
OOC note 1: Novincia will vote in favor as well.
OOC note 2: As the site for SAC Crystal Palace (which I envision as something similar to NORAD's Cheyenne Mountain Complex) will be underground, there may not be an easily-accessible airstrip at its location for a Night Owl. However, Tytor will be happy to host one anyway for the purposes Watson laid out, whether that means a special airstrip is built for the Crystal Palace site or the aircraft is placed at a pre-existing airstrip connected with Crystal Palace by helicopter.
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"The Empire of Ikhan votes in favor of this proposal."
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"Achkaerin votes in favour of the proposal"
OOC Note: That gives a majority so the motion will pass.
Isabella looked around the room and sighed "I am tasked with delivering information of the type that I don't relish. The situation in Parbhani stands at a delicate point. We have a ceasefire having been declared and swiftly followed by an ultimatum with terms that are in the opinion of Achkaerin completely unreasonable. Considering the incident of the bombing of the Parbhani temple it is the fear of the Achkaerinese government that given the reality that Topri will lose this conflict should the Parbhani offensive resume that Topri or Topri forces will act in the same vain as they did in the temple bombing, as such it was felt appropriate to deploy military assets into the area, we assure our Tytorian friend that the deployment will not violate the agreement concerning Izhitsa, we simply want to be able to prevent a situation from spilling out of control because one side has nothing left to lose. We have no intention of involving ourselves in any fighting unless we get to that point."
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"Given the delicate nature of the situation and the paths we've seen such situations take in the past the First Empire feels that it would be appropriate that all parties involved know that the eyes of the international community are actively watching. I would thus propose to our Achkaerinese allies that two vessels from QCMB, a destroyer and perhaps a frigate. In addition, our submarines operating in Northern Pod Alpha, will be operating in waters closer to this developing situation. Their presence will not be revealed beyond the confines of this room."
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"Achkaerin can agree to the proposed two vessels from Rokkenjima and will authorise Rokkenjima's request to deploy as stated."
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OOC - changing the subject
"I'd like to raise the matter of events in Lodja over the last few hours." Isabella said looking around the table "As we all know this isn't the sort of thing that's new to anyone here, Mundus's history is littered with attempted power grabs such as this. At this point Achkaerin interprets what has happened as a revenge vendetta and his proposed reforms as a thinly veiled attempt to gain power. We also note that Queen Klara has made great strides in the 'leveling up' of the plebian and patrician playing field and finally we note as this time the lack of support evident among the Lodjan people for Leopold's actions. The abductions of six Conclave members and Prince Isaak are not acceptable, the violence is not acceptable,
Ultimately Queen Klara is the Head of State of Lodja, so any calls for referendums are not in the gift of Leopold or whatever 'provincial government' he may announce, it is down to the Queen and the Conclave and with six out of the ten Conclave members currently being held hostage there would be significant questions raised around the legislative process in respect of legislation.
In addition there is in the Achkaerinese opinion sufficient evidence to designate the HDMS Morelander as a pirate vessel as per Article 101 of the Fair Seas Concordat. Therefore the following resolution is presented at this point in time:"
1. The CSTO condemns the actions perpetrated by King Leopold and calls for the immediate release of the hostages taken.
2. CSTO shall inform their respective naval and air patrols that the HDMS Morelander is to be regarded as a pirate, if sighted the HDMS Morelander is to be reported and monitored, further action to then be taken as required.
3. Contents of point two to be communicated to the CNN.
"In addition to this I would like to notify the CSTO that the INS Kyogre has been dispatched to the area, this is in accordance with Achkaerinese contingencies should it become necessary to extract Prince Jack Azurewind presently studying in Lodja, our ambassador to Lodja Lady Emalet Silvermist and other embassy staff and citizens. We do not at this time intend to evacuate as we believe that would send the wrong message. We are prepared to expand the scope of the Kyogre's orders to include the rest of the CSTO membership's citizens should it become needed."
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"This mess was certainly unexpected. Certainly Lodja's CNN allies have already put plans into motion regarding these developments and while we must consider revenge as a motive we should consider some fact-finding operations to see the depths of what is transpiring. There's little doubt as to the strides Queen Klara has made, however, I'm sure we can all see where these developments may lead. If not sparking a discourse in the general public within Lodja it is certain to excite those on the fringes of Lodjan society; indeed, the reverberations of Leopold's actions may be felt for quite some time to come even in the most likely eventuality of Queen Klara's triumph. As I'm certain you've seen a certain someone has spoken on the matter, with some in Pyrettania giving reverence to her words and seeking to see a Rokkenjiman response which would grant Leopold the benefit of the doubt. A fact-finding mission should be enough to satisfy their curiosities while preventing defection from direction which comes from Pyrena Castle."
"With that being said the Imperial Rokkenjiman Navy has updated Pods in the area as to these recent developments whilst dispatching a task force centred around IRN Alexander Vaughn to the area topside. With such a vessel in his hands we must consider every possible scenario."
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"The Kingdom of Tytor agrees with the contents of the proposed resolution, and we will be happy to support it. While we will not be deploying ships to the area, as those being sent by Rokkenjima and Achkaerin are no doubt sufficient, in the aftermath of the atrocious attack on East Moreland's embassy the Tytorian government will be opening its own embassy to any allies of the legitimate government of Queen Klara. I suggest that the CSTO offer the full support of any assets we have in the region, along with any embassy staff or security personnel who may be of assistance, to the Lodjain government as they put down these conspirators who have shown such little regard for either diplomatic immunity and ambassadorial neutrality. I expect the prime minister's office will be releasing a statement shortly in association with the sentiments I have just laid out."
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"An attempted malware attack has taken place at the Azukishima-Ashinxao Power Station. While no damage has taken place we are working through the code to determine the origin of the attack. This code will be shared with you all to expedite that process."
"More information will be shared once we've learned more. As I'm sure you can appreciate this is a quickly developing situation and I do not have much information at this moment."
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"It is important, in the eyes of the Imperial Government of the Heavenly Sovereign, that we inform our allies that His Lordship, King Maximus Deyra of Heyra, as well as his family, have left their estate on the island of Rusan and are believed to have travelled to Jiayuan. While normally, this would not be viewed as an issue, in light of recent events as well as the... unique situation that House Deyra finds itself in, not to mention historical precedent, we have reason to suspect, though not enough evidence at this time to prove, that these events are related. As a result, it is our belief that we should monitor this situation more closely than we would have otherwise. Already, we are investigating any and all leads available to us in order to determine what path should bed taken, should the need arise."
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"The Imperial Rokkenjiman Navy has initiated Operation: Typhoon in the north eastern Sea of Kyne composed of two task forces: Tomahawk and Citadel. Our purpose is simple, to deny the Iwi from further operations at sea which violate the Fair Seas Concordat and to make clear to them that not only will our shipping be defended, but that of states not aligned to the Cross-Straits Community. The IRN hopes to see contributions and cooperation from our allies."
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"It is my understanding that the Iwi's operations have, in the past, been concentrated on Royal Seleucid targets," Cox remarked, "Based on present intelligence, how likely are additional such operations at the moment? Assuming, of course, that Operation Poker Face doesn't dissuade the Iwi."
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"This would be correct. Unfortunately I can't determine how likely additional operations could be at the moment: the Iwi refusing to disavow such tactics means there's always a chance of them occurring. With Operation Typhoon perhaps we could see vastly reduced odds."
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"The issue remains circumstances, the Iwi are deeply motivated to bring these war criminals and there's nothing wrong with that and no one's going to say they don't have a right to pursue that." Isabella said "What is concerning is the lengths the Iwi are prepared to go to - methods which in practically any court outside of the Iwi would see the case more likely than not thrown out. Rokkenjima's course of action is undoubtedly well intended however the effectiveness of it will be hard to gauge due to the variable in this instance being the location of specific people who are trying to stay hidden. Also the action, while prompted by the Iwi, must be broad if the task forces see for example a Marseilles flagged ship violating the Fair Seas Concordat they must enforce it there as well, lest an undesired double standard be created."
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"Naturally no one is saying that bringing war criminals to justice is wrong, however, we all recognize that cannot be done through illegal actions as well. We believe that maintaining a persistent presence in the Kyne, the area most likely to see Iwi violations of the Fair Seas Concordat, should hopefully send a message to the Iwi that they're being watched and that further violations of the FSC will not be tolerated. Likewise, should we observe violations of the Concordat by other states we'll naturally react. We all remember the Seleucid theft of an Iwi gas tanker and while not signatories to the Concordat I'd like to think any of us here wouldn't have sat by idly if we had assets in the region."
"On another matter the Imperial Space and Exploration Agency, in partnership with the Imperial Rokkenjiman Armed Forces, has been maintaining the space station formerly owned by the Warsaw Pact. This station was turned over to the First Empire by Thomradia. Upon taking ownership of the station we could see where the Soviets were attempting to build a platform of war in space, which was the primary reason for Thomradia to turn it over to us in the first place. Maintenance has been performed and our Armed Forces have been reviewing items retrieved from the space station of a military nature for the past several years. With those items having been removed and housed here on Mundus we're now at a point in determining what we wish to do with the station: Rokkenjima has Space Station Adora and does not wish to maintain two stations going into the future."
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Ambassador Cox stood to introduce Prime Minister Thatcher, recently arrived from Tytor.
"Delegates," Thatcher said to the assembled representatives, "I come to you today having been directed by the Tytorian Parliament to request that the CSTO jointly intervene in the crisis in Centralia. Most if not all of you already know the nature of the calamity which has befallen Centralia, though I will be happy to answer any questions you have to the best of my present understanding. Due to the fast-moving nature of the civil war, I have already ordered the deployment of elements of the Tytorian Royal Navy to the vicinity, to await orders once this body has reached a decision as to how best to proceed. I need not say that time is of the essence here. Let us not delay."
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Jason Cole, Imperial Diplomatic Liaison, nodded. "What do we know for certain as to what is transpiring? The Imperial Rokkenjiman Navy has begun to position assets in the region in response to the situation, and I've word from Empress Evanthe that whatever is required from our Tytorian allies has her full and unequivocal endorsement. Thus as far as any decisions or discussions here are concerned, I speak with the full authority of the Empress."
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"The Royal Intelligence Service believes that the FMN report was largely accurate," Thatcher said, "However, there is reason to believe that the Lord's Resistance Army may not be the only rebel group. Due to the Centralian government's studied insistence on remaining tight-lipped about its internal issues, most of our information has come from aerial and satellite surveillance, both of which Tytor has maintained in regards to Centralia since the Patriot Party regime first took power in 1999. Based on our observations, the LRA seems to have the bulk of its power centered on the country's north and west, with a particular focus in and around the state of New Jordan. However, an apparently unrelated group appears to be fighting separately in the south, especially in the state of Mazeltovia. Due to the fact that we don't have resources in the country, our picture of the situation on the ground is similarly limited, but the LRA at the very least seems to have ties to Rapture, the group that perpetrated the 11/11 attacks against Tytor. As such, I suspect we can expect little good from the LRA."
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"Leaving things off on an understatement," Cole replied solemnly. "Have we any idea of where the military is in all of this, where loyalties are, et cetera? Determining such things could be useful and grant some further insight into the situation, and as I understand at least one Rokkenjiman Captain seems to have a personal relationship with a counterpart in the Centralian Navy. Establishing some manner of contact could prove useful."
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Isabella Watson (https://independentorder.net/index.php?topic=49.msg1279#msg1279) let out a deep breath and shifted a little in her seat these were the types of meetings she hated, she could remember vividly the CIS meetings where decisions to intervene in Safraen, Seaforth and Revana had been taken no one ever took the decision for military action lightly and that meant never taking such a decision uninformed. Listening to first the Prime Minister and then to Cole had her alarm bells ringing.
"No intelligence from in country suggests a quite significant gap in contextual understanding of what is happening, who the factions are and what they want. You're also unless I'm mistaken appearing to put the cart before the horse, I've not heard of any contact with the Centralian Government so the first they knew of any deployments into their region were news reports, this I find disturbing - not because it appears Centralia weren't told but because two members of this organisation have decided to throw away the element of surprise and put Centralia's military on notice before this body was consulted, we now have two fleets heading to Centralia on an operation the nature of which hasn't been determined that isn't sensible, we needed a clear vision of what we're trying to do before any announcements were made, whether that be supporting the government or in fact resolving the crisis with the elimination of terrorist threat and removal of the government. Yes the pre-positioning of assets is important in such crises but we don't know if such assets are the right tool for the job without a plan."
Isabella took another breath "Don't shoot the messenger but that's what I've been asked to point out by Valtheim. First things first we need intelligence resources in country and we need to decide what the end goal is."
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(OOC: Response to Admiral Cole)
"Unfortunately, no, our knowledge of military loyalties is fairly limited," Thatcher said, "Especially in regards to how that affects the apparent provenance of a second rebel group. That said, however, I think we can be reasonably certain that the bulk remains at least nominally loyal to New Providence."
(OOC: Response to Ambassador Watson)
Thatcher grimaced bitterly. "And there, you've nailed my predicament right on the head," she said, "The 'element of surprise', as you put it, was lost the moment certain members of the Tytorian Parliament decided to play political games with another country's civil war. To put it bluntly, my hand was forced. That said, there's not much my government could have done in regards to communicating with Centralia. See, the Patriot Party regime has been firmly anti-Tytor since it first took power, and they expelled our ambassador back in 2002, though we've maintained the embassy since for the benefit of Tytorian expatriates. Our last formal communication with the Centralian government was an official notice in 2006 that the country was shutting down its embassy in Tsargrad, and they have routinely ignored attempts by the Tytorian government to reach out to them ever since." She sighed wearily. "In short, I'm not sure there's all that much we can do at this point, beyond maybe establishing a no-fly zone, but again, we don't have sufficient intel to determine who would be affected. Certainly a full-scale military intervention ought to remain off the table until we actually know more about what we would be getting into."
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"Then I believe we've identified the necessary first step." Isabella said nodding her understanding "Without sufficient justification we have no cause to intervene and on the basis of what limited knowledge we have at this point I would say that we would have a hard time justifying any intervention. Therefore I propose we take steps to ascertain the lay of the land on the ground, I can say that Achkaerinese Intelligence bodies are prepared to mount an operation of this type, give them the time to determine what the various positions are, what the situation is and come back with their findings so that we can make an informed decision."
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"That seems a good idea to me," Thatcher said, "The Centralian OSS learned everything it knows from our RIS, meaning that Tytorian agents likely would be easier to identify and apprehend, so somebody with a different operating philosophy would be a more beneficial choice. I'm prepared to offer full cooperation and support from the observation sources we already have in place, and with the HTMS Monarch moving to a standby position, we can have carrier-based recon planes in the air within the week. I say we start with this and move from there. Any objections?"
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"While not involving the Centralians," Jason would interject, "the Naval Intelligence Service has been investigating a series of communications between Specialist Hirano Munemitsu and contacts within the Tamoran Empire. The suspect has recently been taken into Rokkenjiman custody and while details are scarce he has suggested that the Tamoran Empire has been including "snooping clauses" into its treaties with foreign powers, in which they would share positions of the Imperial Rokkenjiman Navy with Djerb. Specialist Hirano Munemitsu was approached directly by the Tamorans and has indicated that he has provided positioning information to the Tamorans during times of heightened tensions between the First Empire and the Tamoran Empire for reasons he refuses to disclose to the NIS. While we do not yet have information as to the states which have provided this information to the Tamoran Empire the Imperial Rokkenjiman Navy has approached the matter with some amusement, given Empress Evanthe's focus on the submersible fleet."
"The IRN has a bit of an operation planned to set the Tamorans straight, though the manner involves no armed conflict and establishes a message that monitoring surface operations will do the Tamorans little good moving forward. When you see some assets surfacing Imperial High Command trusts you will not fret."
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"I thought it would be a good idea to provide an update: at present Rokkenjiman vessels in Centralia have reported nothing extraordinary. Our hospital facilities are open, and as we're located in the capital, we've been in a safe enough position to treat civilians as well. I do feel as though an update from sources elsewhere in the country would be beneficial in determining if we should consider any changes in our posture, though that's not to say we aren't prepared for any extraordinary circumstances."
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"Currently Achkaerinese intelligence operations are still in the early stages however we do have some updates." Isabella Watson (https://independentorder.net/index.php?topic=49.msg1279#msg1279) said "We're running three operations which we're calling Nocturnal, Pyro and Sundial for this purpose. Nocturnal is an operation being conducted against the Communist faction, Pyro is an operation being conducted against the Lord's Resistance Army, both these operations so far lead us to believe that the two groups are not paper tigers. At the moment however our most troubling update comes from Sundial, this is an intelligence gathering operation in respect of the Centralian Government, the conduct in the Centralian Capital and in their Congress gives us reason to believe that the people in that city and potentially further afield are not aware that a war is going on at this time, in order for this to be the case we believe that either the Centralian Government or elements within it have control of the media networks within that country, we're also concerned by the lack of a rebuttal statement from the Tanner administration as this would seem to give credibility to the PLA and the LRA as well as arguably an open goal to other actors to make open declarations, fortunately none have taken that invitation yet. At this time Achkaerinese Intelligence believes that a military intervention is becoming more and more likely in terms of resolving this crisis."
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"So I've just had it fed to me that we're to discuss the Oceanographic Research Array, in our session today. We've got units based on land based with underseas hydrophones, for a network that will be damn good at detecting anomalies under the waves and, unassociated, the submarines of fleets that are louder than us as per studies from Rokkenjiman universities. So we've about a year of pure research, and then a period where the militaries determine it necessary to fund us. With that," Michael Kensington chuckled, "what say you, Tytor and Daito? Also we have an unaligned joining up, so there'll be a point where we reveal to them. Do keep that in mind."
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"On another matter of importance the First Empire is concerned following the recent article from the Kingdom of Nis that our Embassy may be in danger. We've doubled security operations and authorized the Imperial Rokkenjiman Marines there to take all actions necessary to defend the Embassy, however, we feel that a joint statement from the CSTO that any aggression against our embassy, whether it be state sanctioned or otherwise, would be a situation where Article V of the Cross-Straits Treaty could be implemented would reduce the chances for the Kingdom of Nis to perpetuate any operation, even feigning plausible deniability, from occuring. We seek these guarantees from our allies at your earliest convenience to be included in our response to the King of Nis."
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(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/937084233078423634/982746006724698132/DaitoPM.png)
To: the Headquarters of the Cross-Straits Treaty Organization
It is with great sorrow that I must inform you, in keeping with our own foreign policy and the will of the Daitōjin people, that henceforth, the Empire of Daitō tenders its notice of withdrawal from the Cross Straits Treaty Organization, effective 12:00 AM on Monday, August 1st, 2022. While we regret that such action must be taken, it has become clear that the failure of the organization to affect change and adapt to this ever-changing geopolitical environment has forced our hand. With our withdrawal from the organization and cessation of its prior commitments therein, we turn our eyes to Ardia and beyond, to new horizons and new friends. In spite of this, however, we nonetheless hope that, though we must part, cooperation may flourish.
His Excellency,
Suketoshi Heishi, Prime Minister of the Empire of Daitō
(OOC Note: This is meant to take place following the summit)
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While the CSTO had dwindled to Rokkenjima and Tytor the situation demanded a unified response. Princess Kyōko, who had been entrusted with all Cross-Straits matters, phoned her counterpart in the Kingdom of Tytor.
"The Crown Princess has been abducted," she said after exchanging pleasantries. "The First Empire is considering this action an attack against us, and as such we are invoking Article V of the Cross-Straits Treaty. Any assets at your disposal which could be utilized to secure her safe return, and those which could be employed against those responsible, are hereby being requested. At present I, along with the Imperial Government, have departed the Capital and are at sea aboard the Imperial Yacht. Further updates will be provided as the situation develops."