"Oh for..." Isabella Watson said from where she sat, there were days she really missed being the Achkaerinese ambassador to the CIS and this was one of them, "First let's not start speculating as to the actions of another nation around this table, second let's not make threats against each other it's not going to help the situation, it's not going to advance things, it's not going to help deliver Troyes back to Marseilles where it belongs." she took a moment to let out a breath and compose herself
"Now whether we like it or not this has happened, and whether we like it or not there is a significant amount of truth to what all three of you have said." she looked at each of the three representatives who had spoken "What matters is what we do now. As our Rokkenjiman friend has pointed out we now face the very real possibility that King Andrew will look at this situation, note exactly as we have the sovereignty issue and treat this as what it legally could be construed as from his perspective which is terrorism and therefore a criminal act, equally while we're on that point this is arguably terrorism, separatism or insurrection, take your pick on appearance against Marseilles, however given the man is a national hero in Marseilles I doubt that'll ever be how he's viewed. Ms Gianna quoted Mr McKenna saying "a decision the Imperial Government does not recognize as holding any legal basis" in respect of the protectorate status, Mr McKenna is correct because the Marseilles Government never signed off on such an agreement, it is therefore a land grab. That point also holds in respect of the current situation, we have a self proclaimed republic that has not been granted sovereignty over that land by the Marseilles Government who we, as a collective body, have asserted to be the legal owner, the Seaforth protectorate has no legal basis, the Republic of Troyes has no legal basis.
Mr Ferraro is correct in terms of wanting to take further steps however I say politely let's just hold our horses and line this up. There's no value putting measures in place that actually make it harder to get through Seaforth's front door. I will inform you that Empress Serenity is presently enroute to Seaforth to talk to King Andrew about this matter, as Ms Gianna observes previous efforts haven't gone anywhere so the hope is that pressure may be applied with current circumstances. However I will caution you that no one should expect the Cantona roadmap to get any traction in that room, but the Empress is one of the most experienced negotiators on Mundus so there is reason to be optimistic. At the same time Achkaerin has another diplomat traveling to talk to President Sauzee and Prime Minister Deschamps, our hope is to get a referendum lined up that's acceptable to all parties - not the one that Cantona has proposed because we don't think that'll go anywhere with Seaforth and any peaceful resolution to this situation needs Seaforth to play ball. So with that in mind let's look at what we can do." she put a piece of paper with a fair bit of hasty writing on the table.
The Membership of the ASDN in reaffirming their stance in respect of and now being concerned about the developing situation in Troyes caused by the continued Seaforthian presence, proposes the following course of action with intent of helping resolve the Troyes matter:
1. The ultilisation of diplomatic ties to calm current tensions related to Troyes and to not inflame the current situation further.
2. A referendum be held on the 1st of July 2024, the question and arrangements to be worked out through negotiations between the Marseilles Government and Seaforth, with ASDN mediating such negotiations as required
3. ASDN to independently monitor the referendum. Governments of Marseilles and Government of Seaforth to agree to abide by the result.
4. In the event of Marseilles sovereignty prevailing, there shall be a transition of sovereignty and a withdrawal of Seaforth military personnel monitored and verified by the ASDN. This to be concluded no later that 30th September 2024.
5. Seaforthian written and signed agreement to points 2-4 is expected no later than midnight on the 1st of May 2024. (OOC note - Subject to Dave's availability etc)
"This I believe encompasses where we are right now - when the ASDN was formed we made that
initial declaration, the deadline for that declarations terms is two weeks out" Isabella said "So in essence this course of action serves two purposes, it uses the time we have available and the current situation to apply diplomatic pressure and hopefully make progress with the Seaforthians. However while I'm sure that Empress Serenity and whoever Rokkenjima sends will do their best to get Seaforth's agreement, we can't have further escalations happening that might prejudice such negotiations, so for that I believe we will be relying on the Aostan's communication line to keep things calm. There is a finality to a referendum, Ms Gianna is correct it is likely a formality in this instance but having it is going to be the most likely way this ends peacefully. Going back to Mr Ferraro's point now, the question becomes what happens if we get to the first of May and Seaforth hasn't produced the requested document? This is where we should consider further steps, such as these." she now put another paper in the table.
In the event that the Kingdom of Seaforth has not produced the signed agreement requested of it by midnight on the 1st of May 2024 the ASDN agrees to the following steps in relation to the Kingdom of Seaforth.
1. The immediate suspension by Rokkenjima and Achkaerin of all treaty provisions with Seaforth.
2. The ASDN shall blockade the port of Troyes, the blockade to be effected in accordance with provisions laid out in maritime convention and law. This blockade shall not infringe requested Aostan patrols nor passage of humanitarian aid.
3. The freezing of all Seaforthian assets held within the jurisdiction of the ASDN, Rishiri and Achkaerinese territory.
4. (insert further proposals here)
"We're all familiar with the term carrot and stick. We're all committed to seeing the Troyes matter settled, we want it to be peacefully done, but failing that it needs to be clear that the line has been crossed and that there will be consequences if Seaforth tries to maintain, without consent of the people, control over Troyes." Isabel said "A blockade would be a step or two higher than what Mr Ferraro suggested with a boycott, however the intent is the same to make Troyes less profitable for Seaforth, it does carry a risk factor but also sends a powerful message."