An Inquiry To King Aldwin VI of Weißenwald

[Beatrice]

Your Majesty,

I would wish to offer my congratulations, albeit late, on the success of the Council of Small Nations. I have followed the developments surrounding the Council and, while the Kingdom of Clysperis is just over twice the size mandated for membership, I feel that the experiences of small nations and the Kingdom are similar; like those of the Council the Kingdom has shared experiences with those nations larger, and more entrenched so to say, that those outside of that coterie have not, at least not within recent memory, experienced themselves. It is for these reasons that I wish to speak with you to explore a few options which, if such desires are shared within the Council, for a relationship of cooperation and partnership with the Kingdom. It is indeed with a sense of hesitation that I broach this topic, mindful that the Council did not have a nation such as the Kingdom in mind in its formation. Thus it is with respect and understanding I will respond if this inquiry is not appropriate.

While the Kingdom may be a "larger" nation, we share the concerns as espoused by the Council, we too desire a more fair, equitable and multi-polar Mundus, and one which sees that nations are not respected because they are great in size of population, economy or military capacity, but that the nations of Mundus are respected through a mutual respect of sovereignty, a respect which sees the differences between peoples and nations not as something which should be a source for conflict, but as something which should instead be celebrated.

I hope that we may be able to meet to discuss the ideas I am proposing however, as I stated earlier, if they are inappropriate to the vision you have I shall take no offense if you decline them at this stage and would be open to exploring options of a more bilateral manner directly between Clysperis and Weißenwald if that's something you would be more comfortable with. Whatever path you set forth from here, I will be looking forward to your reply and the opportunity to explore a path of coordination between our nations and people, regardless of the final shape that path should take.

Yours;

Akasha Di-‘nh-mi-Re, Sovereign of Sovereigns, Divine of Appearance, Beloved of Amun, Chosen of Ra, Lord of the Three Lands, Ruler of Justice like Ra, High Priest of Every Temple, the Eye of Horus, Voice of Ma'at, Satisfied is the heart of Ra.

[Snow]

Reply sent to all COSNAT members and Her Majesty Pharoah Akasha

For those of you who already I can call friend via COSNAT I would invite you all to speak freely upon the concept put forth by Her Majesty Pharoah Akasha.

When the idea of COSNAT was conceived it was mainly down to the fact there was a blossoming resurgence in attempts for forms of global geopolitical councils, such as the CTO. It is my firm belief that in such organisations the voice of us who call these treasured small communities home are usually left yelling from the sidelines with our voice to be unheard or worse still ignored. We have seen success in the creation of COSNAT and while we have yet had need to act using the organisations initial premise it is interesting that it is already working.

With this in mind let us turn our attention towards the proposal of Clysperis and its interaction with our organisation. I welcome international co-operation and believe that partnerships such as this could, if done correctly, amplify our voice. However there are concerns that I have. Some practical and some perhaps best described as personal. In practical terms I wish our meetings to not be swayed by "larger" nations. While the charter makes provision for this perhaps some day happening this will be in the far distance and even then shall happen organically as populations grow. As they grow globally it can be assumed that we, the originators of COSNAT, will grow too and therefore even though larger and perhaps exceeding the population limit set by ourselves we would, on the grand scheme of Mundus, still be conisdered "Small". Here in Clysperis we have a nation that is far ahead of our population numbers thus meaning we can not, if permitted to be a member in any guise, be considered a council of small nations. Now this does not rule out interaction or co-operation. I believe though firmly that in no shape or form can Clysperis or other similar nations be considered to have any membership, oberserver or otherwise, of this body.

On a personal level there are matters that make me a little uncomfortable tying COSNAT to Clysperis. The first is that there at first glance appears to be a lack of any similarities between us and them. There is no common culture, language, size, geography or similar, while this is not always needed from my knowledge Clysperis shares no existing friendship of note with any members. This however again is no single barrier, I believe a wise author wrote "strangers are just friends we are yet to meet". My second issue is of a more theological and philosophical matter, a subject I hold dear. In the styling of the Pharoah is the words "Sovereign of Sovereigns" and while I understand the need for tradition and the perhaps spiritual nature of such a thing I for one will not sign an agreement where one claims sovereignty over myself. Our own Moosleut faith teaches us that there can only be sovreignty over mankind by either the Moosleut directly or by their appointed individuals on Mundus, there can be therefore no treaty I will sign where either symbolically or practically I give sovereignty of the Moosleut community to another individual. This issue is one that I believe we can perhaps fix.

With this in mind, and fostering the spirit of co-operation I have sought, I would like to invite Her Majesty and representatives from across COSNAT to meet with me in a weeks time (OOC-Whenever in RL terms) at the King Lothar VIII Research Station in Hygelac. It is my intention that this research station will allow us to welcome friends from COSNAT members and perhaps other places in the coming months to foster joint scientific research.

I hope you will accept this invitation and welcome my fellow COSNAT Head of States to comment upon the Pharoah's proposal.

Signed His Majesty King Aldwin VI

[Beatrice]

His Majesty King  Aldwin VI and the broader COSNAT membership;

I am humbled to see such a reply to my inquiry, indeed it may be more than I initially expected. I shall keep my commentary limited at this stage, however I wished to state the fullest respect of the Clysperi Kingdom for the membership criteria set forth by the Council; it would be inappropriate for Clysperis to request any form of membership and I would not dare attempt to change or alter the course you've set forth for yourselves. While I feel we have shared similar experiences, for different reasons, in our relations with the broader world around us Clysperis itself is not a small nation, but I feel we are a nation that shares an understanding unique to those not in the stratosphere of nations such as East Moreland, Rokkenjima, Fusan, etc. These shared experiences, a perspective that is often overlooked on the international stage, is something which drew me toward the membership of the Council. While we may not be small we share, I feel, more in common with you than nations such as those mentioned just previously.

As to the King's personal concerns I wish to ensure that I have thought of these. I find much sentiment in the quote he shared, and while there is much we do not share that merely means there is much we may learn from each other, and a path to friendship with each member of the Council is something I look forward to embarking upon. All too often the powers of Mundus view differences as a means to effect conflict, whereas I view them as a means to effect understanding. I have, in the past, dropped the ball there, especially in regards to my comments on the Abrahamic Declaration and toward Abrahamic nations themselves; those statements were made in passion, they were ignorant, and I apologize for them and recant them. At the same time, I would point to the co-existence of three major faiths in Clysperis (Kemetic Orthodoxy, Islam and Manism) as a redeeming quality which shows that, despite that moment of ignorance, in practice and actions I have proven toward an arc of acceptance and am willing to recognize where I have erred, and am willing to correct the consequences of past ignorance.

Accompanying me to the King Lothar VIII Research Station, Hygelac shall be Vizier Apherumes. His position is one which may act with the full sanction of the Pharaoh, whose words may be considered as originating from the Pharaoh, and whose signature carries the same legal right and status as my own. This will, I feel, ensure that Clysperi cultural and spiritual aspects may not intrude or impose unjustly upon those of other cultures and spiritual beliefs. I look forward to seeing what the response is from the broader COSNAT community and, hopefully, also to a fruitful meeting with you all.

Yours;

Akasha Di-‘nh-mi-Re, Sovereign of Sovereigns, Divine of Appearance, Beloved of Amun, Chosen of Ra, Lord of the Three Lands, Ruler of Justice like Ra, High Priest of Every Temple, the Eye of Horus, Voice of Ma'at, Satisfied is the heart of Ra.

[Snow]

"Rooted in the Frost, United in the Forest" the words were inscribed in the metal beam that marked the doors that lead into the King Lothar VIII Research Station. The paint on the newly built station was largely still bright in colour being only six months old. the long series of prefab units was perched on top of a rocky outcrop giving unparalleled views across the ice of Hygelac. It was something that many of the Weißenwald staff could lose themselves at admiring all day. There was something that drew the Weißenwaldians to the cold, perhaps it was as their national mythology talked off the evil  Erlking being afraid of the cold and therefore there was a safety in the frost and ice. There was an airfield the teams had built close by that allowed supplies to be flown in regularly and it was still bringing in yet more equipment. The King had hitched a ride over with his Air Force who were delivering collection of snow-mobiles ready for the research teams to use in the coming month. There were of course more glamourous options but King Aldwin had enjoyed the trip and trusted the military pilots much more than his own private aircrafts crew. Once he'd touched down he made his way inside and found the station busy with people preparing to head out on the ice to do their research or checking equipment. The King had a brief meeting with the staff before making his way to Module B, the one that was used for when the station had to give press conferences or webcast into summits or lectures. It was not a large room and no doubt those who would be attending had experienced far more lavish and welcoming locations but Aldwin didn't have too much concern. The walls were painted white and large photographs hung on three of the walls showing scenes of penguins on the ice shelf. In the fourth wall a large window ran floor to ceiling and the full length of the room giving a view across the ice and out to sea. A supply ship bobbed in the harbour as Aldwin took a seat at the table in a large leather spinning arm-chair. He would see the arrival of the DKF Aircraft bringing in the other delegates and sat back enjoying some cocoa until they did.

[Beatrice]

While Akasha was aware of some back home laughing at the thought of her spending time in a snowy and cold environment the joke would be on them as she rather enjoyed escapes such as this from the heat of Khemnen. Given the premise of the proposal she had laid out, the concerns which existed and the differences which existed, there would certainly be much to discuss over the course of the meeting and she looked forward to that. She had certainly had her share of experience in being an agitator upon the international stage thus it was a nice change of pace in these more recent times to be engaging with a group of nations not in exchanging swipes, but in forwarding a path of understanding and seeing where opportunities for friendship and cooperation may exist.

The Royal Yacht Hatshepsut

It was certainly a good opportunity to test how the Hatshepsut handled a variety of environments, indeed, this would be the southern most that she had sailed. From there, she would disembark the Royal Yacht and arrive at King Lothar VIII Research Station via helicopter, and whilst not the most elegant of settings she'd visited she was nonetheless in a state of awe all the same. Building in a desert and building in an environment such as this were differing skill sets, after all. Anxious and uncertain if she was the first to arrive, alongside the Vizier, she took in the environment and pointed out sights to Apherumes which captured her attention in the mean time. Despite her titles and history she was somewhat more meek and reserved, resorting to formal protocols as to not allow any to know of her mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

[Altona]

Hygelac was about as far away from Altona as it was possible to get. It was therefore no surprise to Prince Lukas that his brother had little interest in going. It was far away, cold and the journey would be done in planes that weren't exactly designed for comfort. When such things seemed to take part it fell to Lukas to come and represent the Kingdom and he was only too happy to on this occasion. He was a little nervous as they came to touch down, after all landing was dangerous enough he'd been told compared to the rest of the flight and now they were landing in freezing temperatures. As the aircraft touched down and steadied to a halt he was pleased everything had gone according to plan. He shook the hands of the flight crew and ensuring his clothing was zipped up tight he headed out into the freezing air. He made his way inside and was, despite the short visit outside, already feeling the cold. He was pleased to take off the heavy coat and gloves and get down to business.

[TheFaye]

Queen Avgusta of the Gygaea had determined that this meeting was one she herself would take. Representing Themyscira she was perhaps not as well equipped as the other attending to make her way there and so she had taken first a trip to Weissenwald and then taken up the offer of their Air Force of an effective taxi ride to Hygelac. It was a land vastly different to the beautiful green forests and plains of her homeland but it was every bit as majestic. She had every intention of spending some time on the ice shelf once they'd finished the business of the day, even to the point of being excited about seeing a penguin of two. Her little nephew Alonso had even asked for one as a pet, he'd have to settle for a stuffed toy instead. As she touched down she followed the others inside and savoured the feeling of the blood rushing back to her face as she transitioned from the cold back to the heat.

[Gusano]

A trip to the coldest parts of Mundus with a metal mask attached to your face didn't seem like a great idea. The Veiled One hadn't really wanted to fly into subzero temperatures with a chunk of silver on her face and so had commissioned a kind of thin silver lace mask specifically for this meeting. She was a little nervous heading into this meeting but had got on well with Aldwin at their first meeting so was hopeful of being able to work well with him once more.

[DaveIronside]

Prince Bartholomew was not exactly used to diplomacy. His role in Semelberg was more akin to what many would describe as an estate manager. The small charter territory of the Reenburgs was not even 100,000 strong and he spent much of his day dealing with matters of accounting, infrastructure management and public relations. He'd only ever had one real diplomatic meeting before and that was with King David of East Moreland more concerned with simply a getting to know you. This was very different, for the first time in his 24 years of life he would be expected to make decisions with no safety net, so to speak. He had enjoyed a few days in Lodja visiting the Pelagiya family who had effectively become his small principalities patrons. Next he had flown down to Weissenwald and there had hitched a ride down to the frozen south. He had watched Avgusta and Aurora enter the research centre, he however opted to have a little walk around the outside. While he wasn't an engineer himself he'd always taken an interest in such things and he wanted to see what the base was like. As he began feeling the cold he headed inside and was thankful now to be in the warm. There he took off the multiple layers to stop himself from now being too warm and greeted the others who had already arrived.

[Snow]

One by one Aldwin had watched the various delegates arrive. As each had been given entrance to the research base there had been a pause as the team who lived at the station day in day out managed the "housekeeping" business of making sure they were comfortable. As the team of scientists showed each of the VIPs into the room Aldwin was in he went over and extended a hand in greeting, gentle with the ladies and firmly with the men. It was odd though meeting Lady Aurora again and seeing a young girl with a weird mask. It made no sense to him but from their first talks it had seemed that she was someone he could do business with. Now though it was time to perhaps begin seeing what could be achieved here.

"I'd like to thank you for being here today. I appreciate that its not the most conventional place to hold a meeting but it will become more apparent about why I choose this location. For now however the matter at hand is two matters. The first is that the Pharoah here has asked for a kind of special status within COSNAT. I personally believe that doing so would be a mistake and I have written to her explaining my view." He placed copies of their correspondence before the table. "Now, while I have said I do not think Clysperis should be granted such a privilege and outlined a few other concerns I have we are not a body that is a dictatorship. I would therefore be interested to see if you share my views, meanwhile Her Majesty may wish to outline what she see's as the future of her nation and this body?"

[Beatrice]

"Allow me to begin with stating, fully, I do not wish for you to forsake your principles, and I do not desire to impose myself upon you," Akasha would reply after a pause, "I see, in you, what I have experenced with the community of nations. The Clysperi voice there has been received less so than nations like East Moreland, Rokkenjima or Seaforth. In that aspect you," she pointed to those in attendance, "and I," she said pointing to herself, "share much in common. I do not seek membership or special considerations, I would wish to see partnership as while Clysperis is not a small nation as you define it, we are a small voice in the modern international order. Our concerns are mutual," she paused, "and while I will accept if you don't wish to work with me, I hope the time comes we may work together because maybe," she again paused, "just maybe, we could change the world for the better through working together. I thank you all."

[Altona]

Lukas was first to respond. "So far we have no idea what this partnership you seek looks like. Therefore none of us can make a decision about what we allow. Your initial approach said you wanted a Mundus that is fair and equitable. That I can get onboard with. Now however you talk of being a small voice yet you've struck up partnerships with Rokkenjima and Achkaerin in the past. Be that having forces involved in your recent conflict or ships visiting your ports. I would say you have the ear of those nations in ways we don't, now while that may be useful to us I don't see the image of Clysperis being that common to us. If we look at just demographics you are 20 million people larger than any of us. In short I fail to see what you need from this body and I fail to see what you can offer us that wouldn't jeopardise in a way what we intend COSNAT to be. The idea is that in a crisis we speak in one voice to represent interests of nations that in such crisis don't tend to carry much weight, however as we've seen with the whole Kalasin event your voice was heard without such a body, maybe because of your existing connections. I'd be more open to co-operation if I knew what it is you see as that being."

[TheFaye]

"I too have some concern" Avgusta of Themyscira added. "The existance of this organisation already could be perceived as a kind of us and them antagonism towards some nations. In the past we have seen Clysperis fall out with Royal Seleucid, East Moreland, and several others. At one point there was very much a narrative being put forward by yourself of a Occident V's Orient style clash on Mundus. As I look around the room I suspect most of us because of our connections, cultures and geography would fall onto the opposite side of this clash to yourself. Themyscira can not afford to get dragged into such an entanglement. Now while we've seen a less provocative stance of late I need you to explain how we progress here so that my 8million people don't end up having issues with say East Moreland you mentioned because you've resumed your issues with them."

[DaveIronside]

Prince Bartholomew found himself in a rather awkward position. While he was speaking for one of the smallest nations on Mundus he was also heavily influenced by one of those nations that the Pharoah had just talked of as having a large voice. It was true of course but he got the impression that Akasha was making this out to be a bad thing and on that part the Prince wasn't quiet on the same page. "I think from my understanding we have seen a period of rapid change in Clysperis. Just a few years ago this meeting would have never taken place as the very idea of sitting at a table with a nation that permitted slavery would have horrified me. We've seen that positive change. There are however concerns over the antagonistic nature of Clysperis foreign policy such as my friends here have put forward. What also is something I'd like to know, both in your first letter to King Aldwin and then in your opening regard there is a lack of what you actually wish to achieve. This body is a kind of collective bargaining weapon, a way to beef up our voices while at the same time giving us a way of responding as a partnership to situations. This framework is yet to be tested and I think it was King Aldwin who stated that he saw this as being a more streamlined version on a smaller scale as the Commonwealth Treaty Organisation. Until tested we won't know how this actually works and so I don't want to complicate a system we have. I would therefore ask the Pharoah how she would balance us maintaining our voice while cautiously having a relationship."

[Beatrice]

"While Clysperis may enjoy recent relations with nations such as Achkaerin and Rokkenjima I remain quite confident that my voice would offer no significant sway in the decisions either of those nations should wish to take. You will remember that I called for independent verification of the election results in Kalasin and, despite Clysperi ties to two nations as you've noted, no such independent verification has been undertaken to date. Neither Valtheim nor the Imperial Palace has acted to effect such verification, which despite Clysperi ties and being larger than any voice present before us today in population, even our voice remains but a minnow in the international chorus, thus even if my voice was heard it was disgarded without much effort from larger powers. Nations such as Rokkenjima, Achkaerin, East Moreland...they enjoy a reach you nor I do in the present time, and I relate to you in that, I see something in all of you that we share this experience. We're present, our voices are there, but when push comes to shove, those shoving have such an unfair portion of the weight behind them. I am certain that if I gave up more to nations like those previously mentioned I could amplify the voice of the Clysperi in international affairs greatly yet, I look to Clysperis' past and see that our great feats were not accomplished in allying our voice to those in charge, yet it was when we directed our voice where it mattered most that the greatest positive change was realized. I know that Clysperis can not be a member of COSNAT, but I know that the heart of our nation shares your pains, struggles and concerns when interacting with the broader world, and it's those concerns I feel we can best utilize in a partnership between our nations."

Turning to Avgusta the Pharaoh nodded, "You must understand I was thrust into a position beyond anything I comprehended at the moment, we'd relatively recently cast off the Soviets and in our earliest days had foreign powers telling us how to conduct our internal affairs and, with a people who look to the Pharaoh as the highest authority, showing any deference to foreign nations would've been the end of my reign so I had to be on the offensive. Indeed, to the very heart of your concerns with the Morelanders, we've entered talks for East Moreland to safely decommission a Soviet nuclear power plant and we've seen Clysperis act with vigor to defend the Cultist minority who live within our borders. I promise you, just as the passage of time has granted me with more wisdom to work with, Themyscira risks no conflict in engaging with the Kingdom, for the Kingdom I represent today is not the Kingdom which spake with ire and fire toward its global neighbours. We've even offered a path for reconciliation to Royal Seleucid, we've also seen our greatest critic in Tytor certify our slavery-free status, and just days ago a concert of Rokkenjiman ships visited Clysperi shores. I was insufferable to many at one point but," she sighed, "that point has passed and Clysperis continues its trajectory as a productive and positive force in international affairs."

"Thank you for your positive acknowledgements," the Pharaoh said as she addressed the Prince, "and to be honest, I know that our positions are different on the global stage in some respects but in others, as I've highlighted in previous responses, they're so unfortunately the same; my voice is heard just to be ignored. I'd like to work with you, all of you, to be a positive force for all disenfranchised voices, to ensure that large (or larger in the case of Clysperis) voices do not snuff out the smaller voices, to support the objectives of COSNAT because I feel the objectives of Clysperis are shared with you all. I could've approached voices such as the Rokkenjimans or the Achkaerinese, I could've used what both gave me to expand Clysperi influence abroad but that's not what I want, not for myself or my Kingdom. I want to help people, I want to lift voices that lack ears to listen to them, and I want history to look back on Clysperis was doing in the present and say "they worked toward a more equitable and fair future." I want to tame selfish desires in my own legislature and turn that energy into something that moves humanity forward, for the sake of all people, not one over another. I know my reputation, but please, I am much more learned from those days and more open to the world around me. May we take this meeting as an opportunity to reintroduce ourselves and move forward on a new understanding between us all?"

[Gusano]

Aurora had sat silently so far. The meeting was rather intimidating for her. She was the youngest here and surrounded by people far more seasoned in diplomacy than her. She had her own concerns about the going on's so far and now following the Pharoahs responses cleared her throat and began. "Since becoming our nations equivalent of a monarch I've had just one nation, other than those here, reach out to me and offer my nation any support. That is East Moreland which keeps getting brought up with a sense of it being part of a problem. From my experience they are very unlikely to not see our voices as important. Take Cobble Field, the nation of Paracambi, hardly a superpower, had an issue with the establishment of their airfield there during the Lodjain crisis. In the aftermath the TUNA membership have been left with a fully functioning search and rescue base of operations in the region, this seems hardly like a threat to the international order. I worry that the way we're explaining this organisation is as though nations such as East Moreland and Achkaerin pose a threat to us all. This bring me to my second concern, you state Pharoah that you had to be on the offensive, yet the nations you picked to be on the offensive about have posed no actual threat to you. By your own admission you used them as a political tool to steady your own leadership. Now thankfully I've never been in such a position. The issue is how can we be sure that it is not now us who are being manoeuvred to be used as your latest chess piece in an internal game with people within your nation. Prince Bartholomew asked about balancing COSNAT maintaining its voice as representing small nations while having a functional relationship. You asked about moving forward on a new understanding but haven't suggested what you want that understanding to look like."

[Beatrice]

"I apologize if my words or tone has offered something different," Akasha said with a soft tone to her voice, "I recognize that when I was less experienced I sent much ire and anger their way, but in contemporary times we've seen opportunities for cooperation between Clysperis and East Moreland and I have welcomed them at every offering. It's in some ways different, our paths to the Crown," she paused, "in my lands it's historically expected that a man is Pharaoh, for the greater part of my reign I had to prove myself to those back home two times over just to be as good as my male predecessors because we, women, with our emotions and empathy certainly couldn't ever be seen as strong leaders of our Peoples. Unfortunately there are many back home that view women as weaker even if we both know that is not the case," she paused again.

"But I've won over the Nomarchs by this point, my Vizier stands as a stalwart defense in my absence, and in all manners I've no need to defend myself nor my rule as I had to in those earlier difficult times; I traveled here, a journey of thousands of miles, to find friendship and partnership, not to find pawns to dispose of at the most convenient moment. With the faith of the Nomarchs and holding an advantage with the church in being proclaimed divine myself, for the first time in my reign I have some breathing room. As to what such an understanding would entail, I apologize, but I would wish to surrender my voice here and ask what you would wish to see, indeed any of you seated here today for that point, as I do not wish to use any advantages, perceived or otherwise, Clysperis may hold here; I would rather constrain the position of the Kingdom than to impose as we move forward so please," she said as she lowered her head toward Aurora, "whether it is you, or any one of you," she continued as she motioned to the others present, "present a path forward and you'll find that I am able be most accommodating and adaptable."

[Gusano]

Aurora was slightly confused in how this turn around had seemingly happened. They had gathered here in the frozen south with the idea that the Pharoah would be trying to convince them to let them into COSNAT or for some other method of co-operation and here now the monarch of Clysperis was asking them to present a way forward. Gusano were a nation with very different culture and government than many of them around the table and they desired little more than being allowed to muddle through this world and ensure that the Solitude conducted all the rites and rituals required to ensure that one day the God Aetharus could return. It was as far as Aurora could see a strange set up to gather everyone here and then have no requests of the membership. It seemed therefore like the talks would be paused while people thought. Aurora figured she better break the silence. "I'm fortunate to represent a nation that sits among a friendly neighbourhood. Globally our network is not much beyond what is in this room. If we are talking about how we present things to the wider world might I suggest we release a memo of understanding." She quickly scribbled on a piece of paper and then showed it the others.

Following a meeting between the membership of COSNAT and the Kingdom of Clysperis the nations involved have agreed that they will, as and when considered appropriate by all parties, meet for discussions on major global events in order to present a more unified response for the betterment of all parties. Furthermore the parties are committed to ensuring all voices within the international community are given volume.

It meant that there would at least be some outcome from the get together but now it was up to the Pharaoh to determine whether they wished any actual depth.

[Beatrice]

"If I may?" Akasha asked as she reached out, pulling a pen from her bag.

Following a meeting between the membership of COSNAT and the Kingdom of Clysperis the nations involved have agreed that they will, as and when considered appropriate by all parties, meet for discussions on major global events in order to present a more unified response for the betterment of all parties. Furthermore the parties are committed to ensuring all voices within the international community are given volume.

The parties, recognizing and wishing to address the cultural differences and, at times, lack of knowledge, will partake in an annual cultural exchange festival allowing for each party to introduce their cultures and learn from one another. This festival will be held in each nation in turn annually. Furthermore, the establishment of a student exchange program will be pursued, allowing students from the parties more expansive and diverse educational opportunities at both the secondary and university levels, further easing the present deficit of cultural understanding.

She presented the memo with her additions, "I figured that, as cultural differences have been mentioned, that is an area we should look to agree to tackle together. I would also wish to note the Kingdom's willingness to offer its assistance in times of disaster and, if others are interested in considering it, I believe that much could be gained for each of us if we considered a shared commitment to mutual aid between the Kingdom and COSNAT. Resources and volunteers standing at the ready should an unexpected crisis befall any of our nations, or any ideas any of you may have in that regard, I would be willing to explore such an idea if there is enough shared interest."

[Altona]

"I would normally support such changes" Prince Lukas began, "but I would argue that the fact that COSNAT does not have a cultural exchange element, nor an educational one, it would be extension mean that the body has created one, what could be described in the charter as an "associate organisation" we already have ties to CETO and under our membership of regional bodies already have these commitments. Remember we are all small nations, we all have less staff, less funds and less time to commit to repetition of projects. I believe the aims that the Pharoah wishes to achieve are already in place just via other means. So what I suggest is that perhaps rather than placing this on a cultural level we have it that in future years Clysperis may be a guest nation at the COSNAT business expo's. That would entitle their businesses to come and showcase their abilities wherever we host it, they can send delegates meaning they can also see what we have on offer. I think this adds more actual value to anything as there is nothing like this in place already. "