A Friendly Discussion (To Ecclesiastical State)

[Major Jaws]

King Lapu has just returned from his trip to Sirinisi and revisits the grave of his wife. He reminisced his memories and decided to leave the nation once again to forget his grief. He then decided to go to the Ecclesiastical State to reinstate agreements from the last decade. The King opens his laptop and starts typing an encrypted letter

Spoiler: A Letter to the Pope • show

Official Letter From The Palace of Quintelia



Salutations,

Greetings, Pope Peter II. If you don't mind a surprise visit to your nation. We shall talk about strengthening our relationship even further. I hope that there could be a press conference and a private talk afterwards. To Goid be the Glory!

[right]
Signed,

King Lapu.
[/right]

He hits send and sighs as he reclines to his chair. He ordered his pilots to ready his private plane for tomorrow.

[The Young Pope]

"Your holiness not to sound righteous or anything but normally we usually do not allow these sorts of 'last minute' meeting arrangements, as you may know..." Secretary of State Adalberto Giancola began, as he began to stress the importance to order and planning which was the standard practice within the Papacy.

"...Yes I know, it may interfere with already planned events...I'd say that we proceed anyway and move any scheduled events with exception to important celebrations and masses, we can't let this slim opportunity slip us Adalberto, you must know that Quintelia is one of the few bastions with the True Faith being kept and maintained until the end of times. *Sigh* just this once my friend, ok?"

"But I-...Fine then, as your holiness wishes and insists, I'm sure we can handle all of this in less than 24 hrs." Adalberto replied in an irritating fashion.

"Don't worry, I'll pick the suitable gift to give to our Quintelian friend...I'm sure he'll do the same if he manages it under this limited frame of time hehe". TYP said chuckling a little.

"Yes of course haha..." Adalberto said finally in a lighted mood.
The Next Day

The day that King Lapu of Quintelia would arrive for a private audience with his holiness Pope Peter II was a hectic one indeed, with so little time to prepare and the fact that some other planned events were supposed to happen were moved...not everyone agreed to this and frankly wished his holiness changed his mind beforehand and messaged the Quintelians that they were to meet another time...The Pope was young, determined and above all their shepard, it wasn't right for them to question God's representative on Earth and even TYP knew that, which he frankly enjoyed to the bitter sweet end of the tip so to say.

He was dressed in his finest attire while waiting in his private library and taking a lil' smoke in advance, a minor weakly sin he enjoyed from time to time, although what his mentor Bishop Deed once told him...he should quit with that devious activity if he wishes to have a long pontificate. He remembered those words, stopped puffing and huffing, took a closer look at the cig. before deciding to throw it out of the window and proceeded back to the desk and instead pray until the King would arrive to Apostolic Palace.

"Welcome to Celestis your majesty...Τhe Οld woman of the days, the Violet Cty, the Glorious City, The Eternal City, Capital of the World, Throne of St. Peter welcomes thee. If you may, please follow me and we shall proceed to the Vatican where you'll meet the holy father in the Apostolic Palace, he has been expecting you for a great time now and honestly can't wait to see you." one of the Papal staff members said as he was going to escort the King.

[Major Jaws]

As the plane stops on the tarmac, one of the papal staff greeted and escorted him to the Vatican. Inside the Sistine Chapel, he sees TYP in an overly-decorated outfit.

"Good morning, Pope Flower Vase." King Lapu extended his hand as he mocked the Pope, who rolled his eyes. "Anyways," he continued "where's the conference at?"

[The Young Pope]

"I'd suggest you show some res-..." Secretary of State Adalberto Giancola said while attempting to scold the rather rude Quintelian Monarch, but TYP let this slide past for now, and patted Giancola on the shoulder.

"It's alright Giancola, our friend here's just giving me a rather lovely complement, I'm however a much more grander and holier Papal Flower Vace haha. WellAs to answer your question your majesty we'll hold it in the appropriate room but for now I'd say we should discuss a possible treaty between ourselves, and not to say the least, our gifts to one another over some snacks and coffee."

The Pope led the Quintelian monarch in the Private Library where the snacks and coffee were on a table. "Please, may I first show you my gifts?" TYP signalled for the staff to come forward with them and voila: a medallion depicting St. Martin of Tours, in the classic image of the saint dividing his cloak to give to a poor man. He also gave him the customary gift of copies of his environmental encyclical Laudato Si’, his 2017 Apostolic Exhortation on the family Amoris Laetitia,”and his 2017 exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, as well as a copy of his message for the 2017 World Day of Peace.

"I hope it is to your liking Lapu..." It was then TYP's turn.

[Major Jaws]

King Lapu bright scanned the papers before giving it to his assistant. As for the medallion, he kept it on his hands.

"I cannot thank you and God so much. With this, I shall be the host for tonight's dinner banquet and provide for your popemobile for the rest of your rule." He declares as he puts the medallion in his pockets. "I hope it's your liking, Pope."

[The Young Pope]

Pope Peter II only gave a faint smile as to what King Lapu revealed to be his "gifts", not that special or noteworthy and frankly expected something exquisite although he understood that although all of this was only planned in 24 hours, the Quintelians could've requested for a meeting much later than that and then find an appropriate gift, added with the somewhat disrespectful greeting in the Sistine Chapel...However as a Christian it wasn't for him to judge and besides he was the Pope and had everything he could possibly have owned, much, much more than he was a mere Achkaerinese clergyman back in the 'good old days' so to speak.

"Thank you so much your majesty, I'm sure it'll be deloghtful. Alright then let's begin the talk shall we?" the Pope announced and referred to Secretary for the Economy and Cardinal Houdin to begin:

"Well how about we bring up first of all trade? This is what the Ecclesiastical State proposed according to the Heavenly Father's blessings and recommendations

- The parties pledge to trade fairly with each other and to respect the lawful commerce of each party.

- Neither of the parties shall create taxes, limits, bans, or quotas on the goods or services of the other party on basis of their origin from the other party, with exception to such taxes, limits, bans, or quotas created by international organizations of which the parties are members thereof.

- The parties recognize the right of free commercial navigation through the waters and airspace of the other party, with adherence to local laws and procedures.

[Major Jaws]

"I agree with all these terms. In fact, I believe that trade is an important part of a nation." King Lapu briefly paused and grabbed some papers from one of his staff. "But the most important goods aren't food or weapons, it is people. No, I'm not talking about human trafficking like a savage Zimalian. I'm talking about immigrants, tourists, and workers." He hands the Pope and the Secretary for Economy a copy of the treaty. "So, I propose that:

Both Quintelia and the Ecclesiastical State allow any person to travel 40 days visa free to both nations. Criminals and exconvicts, depending on the country they originated from, shall be observed or denied to travel.

Work visas shall be given to those who want to work and live in Quintelia and Ecclesiastical State given that they stay within the timeframe of six months to ten years. Exconvicts who were given work visas shall be heavily observed by their country of origin. And;

Quintelia and Ecclesiastical State have the right to deport, convict, or arrest any tourist or overseas worker if they happen to violate any laws of the host country. If a person is arrested, they shall be deported back to their country of origin for a trial."

[The Young Pope]

TYP seemed to like the sound of that however before he had any chance to comment Secretary of State, Cardinal Giancola, had to adress something. "When we take a look at the VISA Facilities section: 'Employees of a company from the other nation shall be given fast track visa's for the purpose of visiting the host Nation of that company. A nation may refuse to grant a visa for security reasons.' We feel that it should be deserved to be more clarified than simply 'security reasons' as I'm sure both of our countries and elsewhere in Mundus have a different definition of what exactly constitutes as a 'security reason', which further brings us to the next topic, namely diplomacy:

- The parties agree to maintain active embassies with each other. If summoned an ambassador shall present themselves to the host government within twenty four hours of the summons.

- Either party may request a twelve hour extension upon receipt of the summons should a level of seniority be required due to the issue concerned.

- The parties declare that they shall act in a spirit of friendship and cooperation with a view to further developing and fostering economic and cultural intercourse with one another, each adhering to the principle of respect for the independence and sovereignty of the other and non-interference in their internal affairs.

- Should disputes or conflicts arise between the High Contracting Parties over problems of one kind or another, both parties shall settle these disputes or conflicts exclusively through friendly exchange of opinion or, if necessary, through the establishment of arbitration commissions.

- The parties shall allow citizens of the other nation to apply for a fast track visas aiding in travel between the two nations for purpose of trade, recreation, and business. These visas shall be available to anyone who meets the following criteria

(a) Has a stay lasting no longer than 90 days
(b) Has a return ticket
(c) Is able to fund the duration of their stay.
(d) Has no criminal record
(e) Is not deemed a threat to national security.
(f) All requirements have been fulfilled in accordance to local laws and procedures when conducting trade and/or business.

- The parties agree to the establishment of a system of extradition for persons accused of crimes in one country to the jurisdiction of the other. No extradition shall take place until compelling evidence has been presented and the country who would be granting extradition is satisfied that Articles four and seven of the Mundus Convention of Universal Rights will be met.

Looks good my friend?"

[Major Jaws]

"Yeah, let's maintain status quo in terms of diplomacy." King Lapu said. "Anyways, of l may propose the Dizon Acquisition of Farming Terrain." King Lapu said while getting a map of the Ecclesiastical State. "As one of the largest shareholder of the company, I would like to expand to the Ecclesiastical State. So, I would like to buy 1000 hectares of land with any 3 or more of these conditions:

Arable, nutrient rich plains,
Arable, nutrient rich hill sides,
Arable coastal lands
Arable estuaries or swamps,
Underdeveloped farms,
Mineral-rich mountains, or
Forests.
If any land is available to be sold, the price shall be negotiated and we will develop the land given. You shall receive 45% of the profit made by the properties." King Lapu finally finished. "So, what do you think, Your Holiness?"

[The Young Pope]

Secretary for the Economy Houdin was much pleased to hear what King Lapu had to offer, considering ES was all about deregulations and little to no government regulations, it was a perfect opportunity to not only receive free cash right off the bat annually but also get rid of state-controlled land in which the Papal government has already sold to the Fava family for instance in which they constructed many of their fine offices, factories and what not. He laid a map on the table while the servants put aside the trays with the snacks as well as the coffee/tea sets. "This patch of land between Celestis and some of our more larger coastal towns would suit your requirements excellently, a warm climate with easy access to many amnenities for instance...I hope it's to your satisfaction?"

At the same time the Secretary for Ecclesiastical Security proposed the next section, "Defence and Security":

(11) Both parties shall desist from any act of violence, any aggressive action, and any attack on each other, either individually or jointly with other powers. With the exception of other existing mandates.

(12) An armed attack on one party shall be considered an attack on both parties.

(13) The parties agree to share military intelligence that is believed to be in the interest of the safety and security of the other, so long as doing so does not compromise the safety or security of themselves.

(14) The parties shall take part in an annual naval and military training exercise between their respective armed forces.

(15) The parties agree to an annual officer exchange between their armed forces to promote co-operation between their armed forces.

(16) In the interest of security and mutual defense the two parties give permission and access to military vessels through each of the other High Contracting Party's territorial waters under the following conditions

(a) An official communique shall be sent to the other Party's High Command as to the reason why military vessels are entering territorial waters.
(b) Prior to entering territorial waters a naval route, compliment, and plan shall be sent. Vessels shall not deviate from planned routes unless requested by the other party or it is in response to a SOS call.
(c) Neither of the two parties shall conduct military maneuvers in the others Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without prior authorization.
(d) Continual communication shall be maintained while military vessels of one party are within the territorial waters of the other.
(e) The vessels shall at all times except where otherwise explicitly accounted for act in accordance with the Fair Seas Concordat.

"This is to also ensure that we will not contradict our other allies and friends with similar agreements if you know what I mean..."

[Major Jaws]

"I do believe that securing our military positions is a good start to continue peace between our nations." King Lapu replied while leaning forward to look more serious. "But I think that wouldn't be enough. There may be more threats to our nations." King Lapu continued as he sips from the cup of tea given to him, to which he hid the pain in his mouth as smoke was still forming over the mug. "So I propose that we establish the South Hemisphere Exclusive Police, or SHEPol as I would call it, to patrol from the Sea of Antalin to the Strait of Shaw and later, beyond. The main goal of this is to provide peace and gain foothold in the local area and possibly, in all of Mundus." King Lapu said while stirring his tea to cool it down. "Of course, that would mean providing troops to the paramilitary force SHEPol would operate with. Now, if you agree, my Minister of Defense here would like to talk with your Secretary of Defense." King Lapu finishes as he sips his tea comfortably.

[The Young Pope]

"Ehm...*gulp* Cardinal Cislewicz and his holiness looked at each other, before TYP shook his head in disapproval. "Yes..." the Cardinal said before he turned his gaze towards Lapu and began to speak once more. "Your majesty in due respect to your in theory good intentions...well first it's an unnecessary proposal, as with the exception of Phuebra there's not been anything of note in that area recently, second if I were you I'd be talking to other nations first nearby, as it seems to us that it would rely heavily on ES as if we were the ultimate authority on Mudus which is not true at all; a suggestion would be a Strait of Shaw/Antalin style MICA. Third it's impractical for it to extend anywhere beyond the Strait of Shaw because logistically moving around large number of assets takes time. Fourth, it's just considering the known reputations and track records of the likes of Ach, EM, UC etc I don't see why we need to extend influence for that reason.

Pope Peter II took the opportunity to cover the last bit of the proposed treaty, namely special agreements. "Now here we can be a bit creative and actually fill in things that wouldn't normally suit in either of the three sections above."

- There shall be an annual sporting event held between the two nations in the sport of ___________
- The Ecclesiastical State shall provide an annual donation of ___________

"You may have the honors Lapu, please do choose a sport fitting both parts as well as the amount of annual donations that'll go directly to your cofferts. If you got anymore suggestions please feel free to add them and see if they would be valid"

[Major Jaws]

As expected, the pope turned down the offer of having a regional hold. The question was a surprise, but an answerable one. "For the sport, I guess we can agree on a tournament of football." He replied. "As for the annual donations, I think a billion dollars is enough as we have funding schemes that can help our economy. As for suggestions, I suggest to start a press conference now." King Lapu said as he finished his tea.

[The Young Pope]

Both TYP and Lapu signed the transnational agreement they just discussed about, with his holiness finally relieved about another day of signing documents of various sorts. With that out of the way, Peter was reminded about Lapu's suggestion about a press conference, in which he personally didn't feel the need for it considering all public statements about such matters generally is reported through the news outlets, though considering he didn't want to upset his guest he had to just comply with the demands. "Very well if a press conference shall be had, as you wish, although I let you then do most of the talking considering you seem to be so eager about and y'know you seem to know how to handle your mouth pretty well and make topics of interest quite interesting" he told Lapu with a faint smile.

Spoiler: Treaty of Friendship, Trade and Mutual Security Between the Empire of Quintelia and the Ecclesiastical State • show

Treaty of Friendship, Trade and Mutual Security Between the Holy Empire of Achkaerin and the Kingdom of Balticum

Section I - Diplomacy

(1) The parties agree to maintain active embassies with each other. If summoned an ambassador shall present themselves to the host government within twenty four hours of the summons.

(2) Either party may request a twelve hour extension upon receipt of the summons should a level of seniority be required due to the issue concerned.

(3) The parties declare that they shall act in a spirit of friendship and cooperation with a view to further developing and fostering economic and cultural intercourse with one another, each adhering to the principle of respect for the independence and sovereignty of the other and non-interference in their internal affairs.

(4) Should disputes or conflicts arise between the High Contracting Parties over problems of one kind or another, both parties shall settle these disputes or conflicts exclusively through friendly exchange of opinion or, if necessary, through the establishment of arbitration commissions.

(5) The parties shall allow citizens of the other nation to apply for a fast track visas aiding in travel between the two nations for purpose of trade, recreation, and business. These visas shall be available to anyone who meets the following criteria

(a) Has a stay lasting no longer than 90 days
(b) Has a return ticket
(c) Is able to fund the duration of their stay.
(d) Has no criminal record
(e) Is not deemed a threat to national security.
(f) All requirements have been fulfilled in accordance to local laws and procedures when conducting trade and/or business.

(6) The parties agree to the establishment of a system of extradition for persons accused of crimes in one country to the jurisdiction of the other. No extradition shall take place until compelling evidence has been presented and the country who would be granting extradition is satisfied that Articles four and seven of the Mundus Convention of Universal Rights will be met.

Section II - Trade

(7) The parties pledge to trade fairly with each other and to respect the lawful commerce of each party.

( Neither of the parties shall create taxes, limits, bans, or quotas on the goods or services of the other party on basis of their origin from the other party, with exception to such taxes, limits, bans, or quotas created by international organizations of which the parties are members thereof.

(9) The parties recognize the right of free commercial navigation through the waters and airspace of the other party, with adherence to local laws and procedures.

Section III - Defence and Security

(10) Both parties shall desist from any act of violence, any aggressive action, and any attack on each other, either individually or jointly with other powers. With the exception of other existing mandates.

(11) An armed attack on one party shall be considered an attack on both parties.

(12) The parties agree to share military intelligence that is believed to be in the interest of the safety and security of the other, so long as doing so does not compromise the safety or security of themselves.

(13) The parties shall take part in an annual naval and military training exercise between their respective armed forces.

(14) The parties agree to an annual officer exchange between their armed forces to promote co-operation between their armed forces.

(15) In the interest of security and mutual defense the two parties give permission and access to military vessels through each of the other High Contracting Party's territorial waters under the following conditions

(a) An official communique shall be sent to the other Party's High Command as to the reason why military vessels are entering territorial waters.
(b) Prior to entering territorial waters a naval route, compliment, and plan shall be sent. Vessels shall not deviate from planned routes unless requested by the other party or it is in response to a SOS call.
(c) Neither of the two parties shall conduct military maneuvers in the others Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without prior authorization.
(d) Continual communication shall be maintained while military vessels of one party are within the territorial waters of the other.
(e) The vessels shall at all times except where otherwise explicitly accounted for act in accordance with the Fair Seas Concordat.

Section IV - Special Agreements

(16) There shall be an annual sporting event held between the two nations in the sport of football

(17) The Ecclesiastical State shall annually donate $1 billion to the Empire of Quintelia

Section V - Miscellaneous

(18) This treaty shall be in force until either party withdraws from it. After which the treaty shall cease to be in force ninety days after notice is given. Notice shall be given in writing.

(19) The present treaty shall be ratified within the shortest possible time. The agreement shall enter into force as soon as it is signed by both parties.

Signed:
For the Ecclesiastical State, Pope Peter II
For the Empire of Quintelia, King Lapu

A few hours later, everything was set up for the awaited press conference, which going to take place within the grounds of the Apostolic Palace. The Young Pope and the Quintelian monarch were sitting in front of international journalists and news crews on a podium. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you to the press conference hosted by our holy father Pope Peter II and our long term friend and ally King Lapu of Quintelia..." a staff member said, officially opening the event up.

[Major Jaws]

After the announcer finished, King Lapu began. "Ah, such a crowd. Since I'm in another nation, I'll let a local to ask questions first." He said as the flashes of the cameras reflected on his face. A young man stood up and asked. "Wasn't there the treaty of 1906 that made our nations very close? Were the agreements revoked?" King Lapu leaned closer to his microphone and replied. "Ah, after the not-so-peaceful revolution in 2010, all Quintelian treaties with other nations were repealed. I hope that that clears things up." As the journalist sat down, another one stood up. "After more than a century of friendship, don't you think it's time for a joint base in both nations?" The King and the Pope looked at each other knowingly and King Lapu replied. "I don't think that a joint base would be necessary. There's nothing to worry about for now. The area near our nations have so far been peaceful. So no, there's no need for a base now."

A journalist from 24 Oras, Quintelia's largest news service, asked? "About the protests of Non-Catholics in Quintelia, what do have to say about them?" King Lapu then replied. "I think that question may be better answered by The Young Pope." He said as he sipped some water.
(OOC: This was before the riots went out of hand.)

[The Young Pope]

"Well...if they could only respect the peace and protest in a peaceful and understanding manner, I don't see the reason why they need to resort to violence by attacking pilgrims, burning effigees of our Lord and Saviour and destroying property, thus they should expect so-called "Police brutality". At the same time one musn't demonize everyone who adhere to the irreligous, I even got a plentiful of agnostic and atheist friends all around and they're some of the finest people I've met; I implore those who belong to the peaceful side that they could teach one thing or two about respect and kindness to their more rowdy brethren." With that said, The Young Pope took the opportunity to clear his throat by taking a sip from his water bottle, while waiting furthermore for any additional questions that were yet unanswered or unheard of.

[Major Jaws]

When the Pope finished, the journalist nodded and thanked the two. The question was followed by another related question. "If these riots get out of hand, what would you do?" King Lapu then replied. "I guess my ministers back in Quintelia can handle them. I trust them to keep peace in Quintelia." The reporter then followed. "Your holiness, what would you say about King Lapu's sins?" The King then blurted out. "And what are those sins you're referring too?" His fingers are fidgeting as the reporter continued. "What about the 2010 Mutiny where you ousted former president Benigno Roxas and have him executed." The King leaned back into his chair and sighed. He sweats drip through his face as he waited for the Pope to answer.

[The Young Pope]

Typical low-class, degrading journalists with these silly questions they always seem to ask. "You perfectly know that it's not my place to call out someone's so-called sins out of the blue in front of the public, it's after in the end something between God and himself, it's not my position to answer for those...Anymore of these silly questions or are we done here? May I also ask the journalists to please think what to say before asking us, I don't quite understand what you're trying to do here otherwise, cause more controversy and grievances between oyr great nations, fulfilling greedy promises to those who paid you well to try to dismay either of us? You see, I don't like to myself question your true intentions here...once again, ask proper and truthful questions or pack up your gear and remove your presence from here. Thank you."

With TYP satisfied with his reply, he took more than large sips from the water.

[Major Jaws]

Surprisingly, the Pope was at his side. He observed some news crew packing up and leaving, including the one who asked the last question. It turns out, propagandists and republic supporters have joined in to try and persuade the Pope. King Lapu smirked and then continued. "With them out of the way, anymore questions?" A young man then stood up. "Considering our centuries worth of cultural connections, how would we celebrate it?" King Lapu sipped some water as the man spoke and replied. "As for now, the agreements have stated that both our nations will have an annual match of our most beloved game, football. Other celebrations will be discussed in the near future."


The press conference continued at a pace with most of the questions are about the more political side of the treaty. After an hour of the two answering the questions, King Lapu finished. "Our time window is up. The agreements of the treaties will be released later and thank you Pope Peter II for having me here." As they walked down, King Lapu bid goodbye and was escorted into his limousine to go to another nation: Royal Seleucid.