Kadassa arrived in a car along with Foreign Minister Arad Irdan with whom he had been going over last minute briefings. The agenda was a packed one, and some of the topics would require a degree of delicate manoeuvring around. He paused briefly to stare out the window at the passing Rokkenjiman countryside and struggled to recall how many times he had been here before, he had become increasingly fond of the country, perhaps a function of his increased familiarity of the place.

"Arad, this is your first time coming to Rokkenjima if I recall?"

"Yes Sir" replied the Foreign Minister

"Well I hope you brought your appetite with you, the Rokkenjimans really know how to put on a spread. The receptions are really quite an experience, make the most of it and watch out for the political games, they don't stop at the conference room door."

Presently the car turned and began the approach to the venue where they were soon making their greetings to the hosts.

To Our esteemed friends in Tamora

It has come to the attention of our Ministry that Tamora has come under increasing international pressure in the area of the freedom to engage unhindered in international trade, to the extent that Tamoran interests in Zimalia are at risk of significant interference.

This is clearly a continuation of sanctions and Lakhzovia fears that should such harassment of civilian ships on the high seas be allowed that it will set a precedent with severe implications for the sovereignty of other states.

As such Lakhzovia proposes the creation of a joint Lakhzov-Tamoran shipping concern headquartered in the Lakhzov port city of Mar Kotuf to allow for the registering of Tamoran vessels under the Lakhzov flag. This will provide Tamoran vessels free passage under the Lakhzov flag to any destination with which Lakhzovia has full relations. Our condition for such passage is that such ships shall carry no slave upon it, either as cargo or crew.

Should such an arrangement be of interest to Tamora we would be pleased to formalise the arrangement at the earliest convenience.

Kind Regards

Tzipa Halviy
Minister of Trade

"The Lakhzov Republic has no objections to the accession of Kodumaa to the Union"

"Evanthe, my dear Empress. You must appreciate the fact that with the return to isolation of Seaforth that the Cotf Peninsula has been left once again with a power vacuum, as the most powerful state in the region our filling of that vacuum is inevitable with or without Rokkenjiman support. I make this point only as it seems to be that you feel it is your gift to give such status to us rather than us inheriting it as matter of right.

I make clear to you that I appreciate your concerns and that your nations diplomatic concerns are such that you have decided on an alternate course of action to ourselves. However I must point out are three important things to be considered here: First, Lakhzovia is not alone in our approach, there are other respected nations which recognise that aggression is unlikely to sway the Tamoran regime and have elected instead to utilise economic pressure to alter the facts on the ground. Second Lakhzovia is a partner to Rokkenjima, not a slave. We are fully sovereign and while we will of course endeavour wherever possible to align our policy on common points of agreement we will never hesitate to make decisions on the basis of our own approach to diplomacy when we feel this is preferable. Finally a word of caution; having been at the receiving end of the exact sort of hostile coercion from you that is now being inflicted on Tamora I can say that your tactics do nothing to alleviate the tensions within a society that lead to the characteristics you disapprove of, in fact they serve only to strengthen the narrative of persecution...

You threatened my country with regime change, you tied our hands when we needed to act to defend ourselves from the monsters within and it was only once those forces we had been holding down were released in full force that you finally understood the rightness of our course. Now I ask you to not make the same mistake again. However good you believe your intentions to be you must not throw Cotf Aranye into a devastating war for the sake of your lofty ideals, especially when there are perfectly reasonable alternative that don't risk the escalation of tensions to the brink of war."

"Lakhzovia is supportive of the Achkaerin proposal and has no objections."

"More than happy. It is our belief that the institutionalised slavery in Tamora will not be overcome through punitive measures. Rather it is our assessment that the best way to remove this blight is through the application of pressure in the economic, cultural and diplomatic spheres.

It is our assessment that any approach to the issue needs to be multifaceted, thus we will use economic incentivisation that rewards businesses that do not participate in slavery, while also opening ourselves to cultural exchange. It is our belief that allowing Tamoran citizens the opportunity to experience and have contact with those societies that do not share their acceptance of slavery can only serve to sow seeds of doubt among them. Finally it is our feeling that strengthening diplomatic ties with the state will provide an avenue by which to nudge the state in the direction of modernity; people are more accustomed to accept advice from a friend than a foe after all.

On the topic of cultural exchanges we are of course aware of the Carpenter programme. It is of course our sincere desire to ensure that a our young people are afforded the greatest opportunity to expand their horizons, as such I can confidently say that Lakhzovia would have no objection to participation in the scheme, and would be delighted to host foreign students at our universities as well as send our own abroad."

"It is most reassuring to hear of the opportunities to further improve relations with East Moreland and of your continued interest in the rehabilitation of relations in Lakhzovia between the Lakhzov majority and our Utman cousins.

On the matter of Tamora our government has reassessed our existing sanctions regime and have decided that our end goal of seeing the end of institutionalised slavery is better served through economic, diplomatic and cultural incentives rather than punitive measures. In part our change in approach was informed by the entrenchment and militarisation of Tamora that was occurring in response to the sanctions regime; it is our concern that further pursuing the path of confrontation would lead to a highly damaging military conflict.

Our new approach was inspired in part by the work done by your own country which demonstrated that there are creative solutions that allow engagement with Tamora in such a way as to allow access to economic levers without participating ourselves in the moral bankruptcy of the slave system. This is something we would of course be happy to coordinate with East Moreland on in the future in order to exchange best practice and ensure a maximally effective approach.

As for demonstration, the bay would be fine for our purposes and look forward to being able to put on a display for you."

"That is heartening news, my team will begin preparations for the relaxation of sanctions and the establishment of a trade mission in the Elysium trade zone.

As a final note with the ease in sanctions it may be desirable for a permanent Tamoran mission to be established in Nakim for the sake of easy communications and further working relations. I invite you to send a further delegation to scope out potential sites and formalise arrangements."

The Lakhzov delegation was headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Arad Irdan and Tzipa Halviy the Minister of Trade, also a part of the party were representatives of MarKo Defence Systems. The delegation exchanged niceties before filing into the suit with the two Ministers taking a seat in the armchairs.

"First we must thank you for receiving us and for allowing our participation in the festival of sail, we appreciate that our two nations have a somewhat chequered history and a lack of warm relations, it is our hope that the recent cooperation between our governments in resolving the Utman refugee crisis presents a new opportunity for a future of warmer relations. To that end we are seeking to engage with East Moreland in an effort to foster stronger bonds of friendship.

Now on the topic of the festival itself we have unfortunately not been able to make a strong showing or participate in the opening flotilla, however we are able to offer a showcase of Lakhzov innovation in the area of coastal defence. Our representatives from MarKo Defence System will be better placed to explain the details, but to provide you with a brief outline Lakhzovia pursued a programme of developing an unmanned patrol boat able to carry out patrol and enforcement actions against light vessels. It was initiated to counter the threat of terror attacks on shipping lines in the Nakim and Peniche Bays that had been a regular occurrence in the period before the Civil War, allowing for speedy deployment without putting human lives at risk from explosives laden vessels.

Unfortunately development of this system came too late for useful deployment for policing purposes, yet it still retains value for situations where rapid response policing against volatile light craft is necessary. The system would be ideal for protection of offshore oil infrastructure in high risk regions or in anti-piracy operations. As such we wish to showcase this to Mundus and could think of no better way to do so than to bring it to the worlds greatest celebration of naval security."

Kadassa looked towards Adriana and smiled "Natan Emet is a festival that marks the beginning of the revelation of divine truth to the Prophet Naqsim, as such it is marked as a time of new beginnings, how appropriate then for this to be the first introduction of the future Empress to Lakhzovia. It is a pleasure to meet you and may this be the beginning of many long an prosperous years." He picked up an ornate pot containing the heavily spiced sweet tea Lakhzovia was famed for and poured cup for the two women followed by himself "May we drink to a future sweeter than our past" he said before taking a long sip of the thick rich tea.

Now focusing his attention on Evanthe he began "Now your Majesty I am fully aware of the topic you are most keen to discuss, the Tamoran sanctions relaxation. I must begin by saying I fully understand your position, you have made it a matter of principle to stand firm against the Slave State out of a commitment to the lofty goal of upholding universal human rights, and that is to your credit! Very few leaders have the nerve to hold so fast to matters of absolute moral principle yes?

I must say that when it comes to the institution of slavery I stand fully by your side, it is an abomination that belongs firmly in the past, yet the reality is that it still blights our world, more than that the nation that most strongly endorses it has enshrined it in a way that makes it particularly resistant to being dislodged. I share your disgust and your desire to see it crumble and fall, yet the reality is that this is unlikely even under the weight of an international sanctions regime.

First I am certain that your own briefings will have informed you that the nation of Tamora practices a highly protectionist economic policy with a high reliance on import substitution industrialisation, of course this hinders their domestic economy, but this itself serves to solidify their institutional set up while also insulating their economy from excessive external pressures. Second Tamora has successfully fostered a network of politically, culturally and economically integrated or dependent nations, particularly in Midaranye; this now acts as an effective bloc in its own right and what little impact sanctions against Tamora have practically evaporates if you are not willing to extend the same sanctions regime against the entire bloc, which brings me to my next point.

As Tamora effectively leads a bloc of nations and has a largely independent economy poorly integrated into global trade we are at risk of facing a situation like that of the Warsaw Pact, I fear that ratcheting up tensions with extending sanctions will only serve to consolidate the Tamoran network and lead to a further polarisation of Mundus. I am sincere in my concerns that doing so risks putting us on the path to a conflagration that will lay waste to large swathes of the world, I am certain that it is not your goal to trigger a major war yet I fear that this is where we inevitably head if we continue on the course that we have set.

Now I know in all probability you have come here to convince me to reconsider my governments approach to relaxing sanctions, but I hope you will hear what I have to say on the matter and be reassured as to our approach. While we too seek the downfall of the Tamoran Slave State it is our assessment that this is unlikely to be viable via confrontation unless we undertake military action to bring about regime change, I personally believe this is an undesirable path not least from the resultant loss of life, the destabilisation of the region and the lack of assurances that we would actually succeed in such an endeavour. Ultimately we have come to view further pursuit of punitive sanctions as an ineffective route to our desired outcome. Rather we believe that change is possible through penetration of the walls the nation has built to protect itself. Targeted economic and cultural cooperation can provide very real avenues for strengthening counter-slavery tendencies within their society.

Let me provide you with one potential example we have formulated. For a moment consider that slavery in Tamora is justified by religion but exists today due to its role in the economy and the facilitation of economic relations within society. In such a model the way in which to have an impact upon the institution is by use of economic levers, now there is the option of adversarial economic pressure such as sanctions, however in the case of Tamora in which isolation and economic inefficiencies are key issues that allow the perpetuation of the slave institution such an approach is likely to prove counter-productive. On the other hand if you can find ways to penetrate the market and create a situation where there is benefit to the elite from pursuing increases in productivity then the use of slave labour becomes less attractive and as such support for the continuation of widespread slavery will be eroded among the elite that hold the power over the Tamoran institutions. So for example a policy that seeks to encourage export oriented production would lead Tamoran firms to have to compete in quality and price on the global market, those that shift away from high labour, low productivity manufacturing would reap the advantage and experience high growth rates relative to other Tamoran firms allowing them to expand both their international and domestic market share, such pioneers would be followed by other firms in the sector seeking to emulate that success and avoid being squeezed out of the market, especially given what the implications of insolvency would be for the business owners. This positive cycle of business development would see the economy retooled away from the inefficiencies of  slave labour and as such greatly reduce the economic role and importance of the institution, paving the way for its eventual disappearance.

From this you can see how a policy of pursuing open economic relations would be far better at altering the socioeconomic reality of Tamora than sanctions which serve only to intensify the factors in which the slave institution is rooted and able to exist. That is why my government has taken a view to easing economic sanctions on Tamora while at the same time enabling a programme of charitable debt relief to stem the flow of new bodies into the slave market. We believe that a two pronged approach of reducing availability and thus increasing the cost of slaves, while creating the economic conditions that favour businesses embracing productivity boosting investment provides the best opportunity to see the institution peacefully eradicated in our lifetimes."

June 25th, Presidential Palace

The Minister of Agriculture was nervous, given the nature of his position he rarely had cause to bother the President especially at such an inconvenient time but this was an emergency. One of the guards standing by the door to the President's office listened intently to his earpiece before calling to him "The President is ready to see you now, be quick, he doesn't sound happy." The Minister nodded and walked to the door opening it slightly and sliding through to the richly decorated chamber beyond.

"Revi, what do I owe the pleasure of being called to work at this late hour for?" said Kadassa from his seat behind the expanse of his desk.

"Mr President, I have some urgent news that I have to bring to your attention."

"What is it? Another fertiliser shortage?"

"No Sir, its..."

"Don't tell me we are understocked on tractor components!" said Kadassa with mock horror.

"Sir it's about the yellow tongue pandemic."

"What about it? It's Emet's punishment on the barbarous nations that think it's okay to consume flesh."

"Yes Sir, but the thing is we have confirmed a case in Lakhzovia"

Kadassa sat up in his chair, now fully attentive "But how? Our laws prevent animal slaughter and the sale of meat, how have we ended up with the carnist plague?"

"We have been doing tracing on the affected animal Sir, it appears it was imported into the country last week from Ardia, marked on customs reports as being a 'rare-breed long-wool sheep' apparently to contribute to a farm that specialised in producing fleece for the high end wool industry. Unfortunately it seems that it was actually destined for an illegal abattoir in Transmecuria..."

"Those fucking Utman scum. I should have known it would be them that would bring a plague to our country, who am I kidding, they are the plague" snarled Kadassa.

Revi shifted uncomfortably on his feet, he had been raised in the relatively liberal city of Herzluriya and had never held the sort of hatred of the Utman that was common among those elsewhere in the country. "Sir, I regret to inform you that given the nature of the virus there is a very real risk that if this were to escape our control that it would devastate the population of wild Lakhzov Ibex, possibly to the extent of driving them extinct. We need to take immediate action to halt the spread of this disease, and as much as it is against our sacred values to do so, I think you need to consider authorising us to euthanise any affected animals and their respective herds."

Kadassa gave Revi a stare that seemed to bore a hole through him before finally muttering "You're right, we need to make tough decisions to prevent this getting out of control. At the same time I do not want it to be public knowledge that we are euthanising animals, for one it would have the Medaberim up in arms and stir up an enormous public backlash, second I don't want the public to get wind that this is the fault of the Utman. We are just concluding the whole Utman Autonomous Region business and that is key for certain future relations, I can't have that jeopardised by a public scandal around illegal Utman abattoirs. For now all I want the public to know is that the government, while not being aware of any direct risk to Lakhzovia, is taking the current yellow-tongue pandemic seriously and will therefore be ceasing any and all movement of livestock into or within the country. In the meantime you do what you have to do to get this under control."

The government has announced that negotiations on the settlement of the Utman question have concluded with the parties agreeing to the creation of an Utman Autonomous Region in the west of Transmecuria province. A team of negotiators led by Arad Irdan met with representatives from East Moreland and Achkaerin to hammer out the details of an agreement that aims to allow the Utman population limited self-governance in a designated autonomous zone.

As a part of the agreement refugees currently residing in East Moreland and other countries will be repatriated to the newly created territory where they will be able to vote in elections for their own regional government responsible for education, tax collection, policing and developmental policy. The government has expressed confidence in the solution as the only one that respects the legitimate rights of both Lakhzov and Utman citizens while ensuring security for all residents of the land.

Some conservative commentators have expressed dismay at the move viewing it as a concession on Lakhzov sovereignty at the behest of foreign powers that lays the ground for future agitation for full separation of an Utman state from Lakhzov territory; on the other side of the divide hardline Utman voices have denounced the plan as an attempt to kill all future hopes of an independent Utman state and have urged the Shanata Party to refuse to accept the transfer of authority. One academic speaking on the basis on anonymity said "This deal has been drawn up by the Kadassa Regime and presented for approval to foreign powers, at no point was an open and honest conversation had with the Utman people or their representatives. That this deal is being pushed by the Lakhzov oppressor should be all people need to know about what its aim is, this piece of paper is designed to win the Regime favourable opinion among the world powers while simultaneously strangling the remaining life out of the Utman cause. Any party that cooperates with such a move can be called nothing other than a traitor."

A government spokesman said "Given the long and painful history that has existed between our two peoples it is understandable that bold moves like this are likely to evoke strong emotions on both sides. The fact that we have received criticism is vindication that the government has managed to produce a fair compromise resolution to the conflict in which concessions have had to be made by both peoples. This agreement is not the end of the process of reconciliation, rather it is the starting point for the process of healing the country and we encourage all to engage sincerely in the process."

"Very good. If all participants here are satisfied then I am happy to present to you the final status agreement. Providing there are no disputes with the wording or the provisions then we will sign this agreement this week and begin immediate preparations for the transfer of powers and establishing appropriate mechanisms for the repatriation of refugees."

---

ARTICLE I
AIM OF THE AGREEMENT

The aim of this agreement is to bring about the cessation of historical hostilities between the Utman and Lakhzov peoples in order that both may continue to live within the territory of the Lakhzov Republic according to their respective customs, religion, and laws. This agreement will be considered a final resolution of the Utman-Lakhzov Conflict and the closure of all further claims and ambitions.

ARTICLE II
FRAMEWORK FOR THE EXTENSION OF AUTONOMY

The agreed framework for the extension of autonomy to the Utman community in the designated Utman Autonomous Region (UAR) is set forth in this Declaration of Principles.

ARTICLE III
ELECTIONS

1. In order that the Utman people in the UAR may govern themselves according to democratic principles, direct, free and general political elections will be held for the Utman Authority under agreed supervision and international observation, while the Utman police will ensure public order.

2. As a transitional provision the first sitting of the Utman Authority shall comprise of those Utman Shanata Party representatives of the territories that comprise the UAR currently elected to sit in the Lakhzov National Assembly.

3. Subsequent elections will be held in concurrence with the Lakhzov General Elections.

4. The internal division of electoral districts within the UAR will be the responsibility of the Utman Authority Electoral Commission.

ARTICLE IV
JURISDICTION

1. Jurisdiction of the Utman Authority will extend over the area assigned as the Utman Autonomous Region defined as:

The western most area of the Transmecuria Province, from the North-Western International Border extending to the Shar Valley of the Har HaShidrin Mountain Range; The Western International Border to the Chluz River, and from the South-Western International Border to the estuary of the Chluz River into lake Kinoros.

2. No Jurisdiction is granted over the Ceouz Utman Autonomous Region.

3. The UAR is not entitled to form, or attempt to form political unions with the Ceouz Utman Autonomous Region, or attempt to encourage other Utman majority areas to seek autonomy or unification with the UAR as an exclave.

ARTICLE V
TRANSFER OF POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Upon the entry into force of this Declaration of Principles a transfer of authority from the Lakhzov Civil Administration to the authorised Utman for this task, as detailed herein, will commence.

2. Immediately after the entry into force of this Declaration of Principles authority will be transferred to the Utman Authority in the following spheres: education and culture, health, social welfare, direct taxation, local development planning, and tourism. The Utman side will commence in building the Utman police force, as agreed upon.

ARTICLE VI
PUBLIC ORDER, SECURITY, AND BORDER CONTROLS

1. In order to guarantee public order and internal security for the Utman of the UAR, the Utman Authority will establish a strong police force, while Lakhzovia will continue to carry the responsibility for defending against external threats, as well as the responsibility for overall security of ethnic Lakhzov for the purpose of safeguarding their internal security and public order.

2. The UAR may not establish or raise any military or paramilitary organisation for the purposes of territorial defence. Territorial defence shall reside solely with the Lakhzov Defence Forces.

3. The UAR may maintain a customs service and man customs checkpoints as appropriate. However, the external border and its crossings will remain under the control of the Lakhzov Border Police and other related agencies

ARTICLE VII
LAW AND LEGISLATION

1. The Utman Authority will be empowered to legislate, in accordance with the scope of this agreement, within all authorities transferred to it.

2. The Utman Authority is not empowered to draft, pass, or implement legislation which is in violation of the Constitution of the Lakhzov Republic, or which violate or abrogate any national criminal law except where exceptions are explicitly granted.

3. The Utman Authority will establish Magistrates Courts to enforce local civil law.

4. Utman Civil laws will not apply to members of the Lakhzov Ethnic group that remain resident in the Utman Autonomous Region, except for in cases of public decency where the provisions do not impede on Lakhzov cultural or religious expression.

5. All Criminal Cases will be referred to the nearest Lakhzov Magistrate Court.

ARTICLE VIII
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, TRADE, AND DIPLOMACY

1. The Utman Authority is not empowered to set a Foreign Policy separate from that of the Lakhzov Republic, nor is it permitted to maintain or operate a Foreign Ministry, Department or any other such office.

2. The Utman Authority may not receive foreign delegations except in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nor is it permitted to send Utman delegations to foreign countries, territories or organisations, nor is it permitted to make petitions or presentations to such.

3. The Utman Authority is not empowered to enter into international treaties or agreements of any kind.

4. International Trade will only be permitted with nations that the Lakhzov Republic have full relations and trade agreements with.

ARTICLE IX
RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES

1. Disputes arising out of the application or interpretation of this Declaration of Principles. or any subsequent agreements shall be resolved by negotiations through the Joint Liaison Committee to be established with an equal membership of Lakhzov and Utman participants.

2. Disputes which cannot be settled by negotiations may be resolved by a mechanism of conciliation to be agreed upon by the parties.

ARTICLE X
UTMAN-LAKHZOV COOPERATION CONCERNING REGIONAL PROGRAMS

Both parties view the multilateral working groups as an appropriate instrument for promoting regional development programmes that impact both territories or would otherwise be impossible without cooperation.

ARTICLE XI
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, PROTECTION AND RIGHT OF ACCESS TO RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL SITES, AND THE STATUS OF KHALIN

1. The freedom of worship for Lakhzov Emetists within the UAR will be respected and actively protected by the Utman Authority.

2. The Utman Authority will undertake to protect and preserve the physical integrity, and the right of access to Lakhzov cultural and religious sites within the UAR.

3. The city of Khalin, its communities, shrines, and landmarks will remain fully under the administration of the Lakhzov Government subject to the appropriate administrative devolution as laid down by the Constitution and other relevant laws.

4. The Lakhzov Government will facilitate access for the Utman to the city to allow for Kerenist worship in accordance with the existing status quo.

ARTICLE XII
STATUS AND REPATRIATION OF UTMAN REFUGEES

1. Those Utman who have been displaced overseas by the Utman-Lakhzov Conflict shall be repatriated to the UAR.

2. Those Utman who have been internally displaced due to the Conflict have the right to voluntarily move to the UAR or remain in situ, they may not be forced or coerced by the either the Lakhzov or Utman Authorities into relocation to the UAR.

3. Voluntary relocation to the UAR will not be considered grounds for forfeiture of other rights, and those relocating may continue to pursue property claims through the Court of Disputations. Those who have their claims confirmed by the Court of Disputations are entitled to relocate to their former homes or receive appropriate compensation for their land.


MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

1. This Declaration of Principles will enter into force one month after its signing.

Your Highness,

On behalf of the Lakhzov Republic I would be delighted to welcome you to visit as an addition to the itinerary of your trip to Seaforth. Due to the short notice I am afraid we may not be able to provide the reception we would normally prepare for such an occasion, and due to the imminent arrival of the festival of Natan Emet I will be in Khalin as opposed to my residence in Nakim.

Due to the timing I would like to invite you to join me for the festivities.

Sachim Kadassa
President of the Lakhzov Republic

"Very good questions and exactly the ones we are seeking to formalise answers to at this conference." Arad flipped to a new slide on the projector while paper copies were passed around the room.

"This is the outline of our intended balance of powers in relation to the proposed UAR:

The UAR Authority will have the power to:

I. Control and collect local taxation.

II. Set its own budget.

III. Run schools, hospitals, waste collection, public transport and other public services.

IV. Set an Utman school curriculum with oversight from the Education Ministry.

V. Control local development planning, agricultural, and industrial policy. This includes operating abattoirs and meat distribution.

VI. Control local civil security such as police and fire services.

VII. Set local civil law based upon Utman cultural and religious norms and enforce this through Magistrate Courts.[/li][/list]

In the following areas the UAR will not be authorised to act and will be required to defer to the Lakhzov National Government:

I. The UAR may not set its own foreign policy, nor may it maintain or operate a Foreign Ministry, Department or any other office. It may not receive foreign delegations without coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nor may it enter into international treaties or agreements. Imports may be sourced only from countries with which the Lakhzov Republic has open diplomatic relations.

II. The UAR may not establish or raise any military or paramilitary organisation for the purposes of territorial defence. Territorial defence shall reside solely with the Lakhzov Defence Forces.

III. The UAR may maintain a customs service and man customs checkpoints as appropriate. However the external border and its crossings will remain under the control of the Lakhzov Border Police and other related agencies.

IV. The UAR cannot implement laws which are in violation of the Constitution of the Lakhzov Republic, or which violate or abrogate any national criminal law except where exceptions are explicitly granted and listed (For example the criminal offences associated with the meat trade shall not be held in effect in the UAR.

V. The UAR is not entitled to form, or attempt to form political unions with the Ceouz Utman Autonomous Region, or attempt to encourage other Utman majority areas to seek autonomy or unification with the UAR as an exclave.

This is of course a brief outline and each of the points listed will have a greater level of detail setting out the exact protocols, but as an overview I believe this should be sufficient to give an understanding of the character of the UAR that we are proposing."