In a rather powerful protest about the treatment of Queen Aoife of Eigg it was confirmed today that King Finley and the rest of the  Ó Séaghdha family have not taken part in any celebrations to mark the autumn equinox. Traditionally members of the family visit communities to take part in their celebrations designed to ask for the Gods and Goddesses blessings through the coming dark months. It was instead left to the Taoiseach, Cadoc MacKenzie, to lead the nations celebrations at the largest temple in Claith. A statement was released the evening before by the King's Press teams which said, "It would be a poor show of solidarity between Celtic monarchs if the royal family of Ui Cenneslaig celebrated and gave thanks while our cousin Queen Aoife of Eigg is locked in a prison cell. While there are moves to release her underway these are not happening fast enough. It is important that a sovereign who has not harmed a single of their people not be imprisoned. The Ó Séaghdha family stand squarely behind Queen Aoife and the people of Eigg. It is our hope that one day soon the Queen can take her rightful place on the throne of a free independent Eigg and that the people of the Federation can once more return to being our friends."  The King has supported the involvement of East Moreland as a neutral partner in observing the re-running of the referendum.

Meanwhile people across the country gathered in clans and brought with them the last wheatsheef on the harvest. These were lit on ceremonial bonfires and each family took ashes home to spread on the field to ensure the Gods blessings. Large feasts where held and gifts exchanged to wish each other well during the dark months to come.

Today I'm back in my homeland of Uppsala to talk to a young politician making waves here in the Nordic nation of Nya Åland. Dr. Olivia Robertsson has thrown her hat officially into the ring for this years elections to Head Gothi having recently been certified as a Gothi by the Odinic Order. Recent polls have suggested that if the election was to take place tomorrow she would push incumbant Stein Ulfsson hard but ultimately lose, however each day that passes see's the membership of her Liberal Odinic Rite party increase. Should she win the election she would be the first female Ålander Head of State. Dr.Robertsson has an impressive CV when it comes to her life however has next to no political experience. Born in Sprigwald, a small village north of Uppsala she became a national heroine during the Uppsala Crisis when she was discovered running a medical aid post for those seeking to escape the destruction. She then voulenteered to return to Uppsala and carry out rescue works in areas under threat by the Gungnir terrorist group. Once back at University she enrolled as a voulenteer for JET and when the Uppsala Chemical leak took place she remained in the area despite the dangers. For her part she was awarded the  Hammer of Odin, the nations highest civilian award for bravery, the anual stipend of which she used to fund mobile health care in Zimalia.  Now her impressive background is being labelled as a perfect preparation for being a Head of State.

Krista - Olivia. Thank you for joining me this evening. If I may begin with a rather awkward question. You're 26 years old, aren't you a bit young to try and rule a country? Why not wait a few more years?

Olivia - I could sit here and name several Heads of State who have been younger. King Karlis of Chistopol was a year younger than me when he began running a campaign that freed his nation. Queen Viktoriya of Lodja was five years younger than me when she chaired the 2nd set of reforms of the MCUR. The Bene Gesserits Reverened Mother was still a teenager when she assumed the leadership of that faith and is still younger than me and rebuilding a nation. If you're ready then you're ready. I worry that the longer we wait to begin enacting change in the nation the bigger the hill we'll have to climb. We've been largely isolated from a lot of Mundus for a few years now mainly as Ulfsson has not actively engaged with Mundus and of course the fact that some have shunned us. The longer we wait the more isolated we become. I've a chance to bring about change this year, otherwise we are stuck with the same do nothing administration we have now until 2027 and can we really afford that? My age shouldn't be a question, people should ask do I tick the boxes needed to be a leader. If they believe I do then age becomes irrelevant.

Krista -You're spent the last few years abroad, are you not concerned that you have grow slightly out of touch with the concerns of the people who work and leave in Nya Aland?

Olivia I get home very regularly, both to see family and friends but also as part of fund raising for the various projects. I think in the days of modern media and communications its not as difficult to see whats happening as it was in days gone by. I speak to thousands of Ålanders and I'm confident I have a good read on their views on a whole range of issues. If people think I am out of touch you need only look at our most recent rally. 120,000 people turned up. Membership of our party grows everyday and we're now the 2nd largest party in terms of members. I think that by being out on the ground I learn a lot. Since setting up the party I've been based in Uppsala almost full time. I work in the local hospital and as such I see people at some of their worst moments. I host religious worship too, I have people attend the grove I utilise and we're like a small family. I'm not as isolated from the Ålanders as perhaps Stein Ulfsson is.

Krista -Do you put stock in allegations that Nya Aland is a discriminatory state on basis of religion?

Olivia A little. There are no policies that deny Christians for example rights. They can marry, they can have a Christian marriage. They can have an education, they can even have a private Christian education. They can gather as a community. The discrimination comes on the way the faith can be visible. The Church can't display a cross on the outside, the gatherings must be done indoors and be careful of sound. These things are the discrimination. I hope no Christians feel threatened just because they are Christian, they aren't being targetted and they aren't being denied oppurtunities. I think one issue that exists at times is the way nations react to some media stories. We are a nation of Odinists. To us things like mistletoe groves are sacred objects when Christians, perhaps ignorant of this cut down the branches for their festival they are rightly prosecuted. I would hope though we live in a society where prosecution is not perhaps the first step and that a conviction is more about education that punishment.

Krista -During your altruistic missions in Zimalia and Lijiang, what is the lesson you got, and how shall it help you lead Nya Aland shall you be elected Head Gothi?

Olivia I've worked in some high pressure situations in circumstances that are alien to most. As a Head of State you are going to have to make tough decisions daily. So do Doctors, especially ones working in cultures that are unfamiliar to them. I think that the main lessons I've learnt are about the importance of working with others. This is something we as a nation have forgotten. What was the last joint project or initiave we got involved in? I think I have done more to develop foreign relations in the past few years than are actual government. I have an understanding of nations like Lijiang and Zimalia far beyond that of the current administration.

Krista -How do you feel, knowing that your first voter base of support aren't native alanders, but well displaced nords? Does this mean that your program for Head Gothi is made at the detriment of native and well established alanders??

Olivia The nation of Nya Åland is rather unique in many ways. The concept of native when talking about the Nords was always a tricky one, the way people moved between the five Nordic states was always rather pourous. Families were mixed and it was hard to know exactly where one state ended and another began. Ålanders were perhaps always the most conservative and traditionalist but since the Uppsala disaster that has become more entrenched, largely I think because we don't have other administritive centres allowing different ways of doing things. Lets also remember in a technical sense us non-Ålanders didn't have a choice. There was no effective way for us to administer something like a referendum of provisional government. As a result what was left of the old Union of Nordic People was in a sense annexed by the Ålanders. They made the decision to make us part of their population. I have no desire to make Nya Åland the old UNP. What I want to do is take the hard working and self sufficent mentality of the Ålanders and mix it with the old UNPs courage to act on a global stage. Between both the old and the new we embodied what is best about the nine noble virtues.

Krista -In an ever constant changing militaristic Mundus where threats are real, where following the great disaster, Nya Aland have been in much need of foreign help, most particularly of East Moreland which provided tremendous one, ultimately, is your proposal of Armed Neutrality not a slap to the face of those who helped?

Olivia - If we look at how the Morelanders, Achkaerin, The Iwi, Lodja and several other nations helped us it wasn't in terms of military intervention in a combat sense, at least not initially. The actions began as large scale humanitarian operations and then anti-terror operations. Even when following armed neutrality of the past our service men and woman went into operations of a humanitarian nature. I may not have served in the military but while a member of JET I worked alongside our military helping in a variety of situations. Armed Neutrality means that we intend to stay out of any war and will defend our right to be treated as a neutral nation. It does not mean we do nothing. It puts us in a unique position where we can be trusted once more to be the leading force for peace. That is how we return the favour nations like East Moreland did for us, by working hard and diligently to maintain a peaceful Mundus.

Krista -Thank you for your time this evening Olivia and we wish you well in the coming elections?

This week I'm here in Gaia the capital of the Queendom of Lodja and while people would assume that I am here to interview the new Queen of this nation, or some government official that couldn't be further from the truth. Today I am interviewing what is likely to be the youngest person who will ever appear on the Rosendahl Report, the future Queen of East Moreland Princess Rhiannon. A nine year old royal currently on a tour of Mundus visiting several nations.

Krista - Princess thank you for speaking to us. Could you maybe tell us why you're here in Lodja?

Rhiannon Thank you for asking me on and thank you for the ice cream earlier. I've come to Loda because my Daddy said it was an important place to see and its my school holidays. Normally at school holiday I just play games with friends or go on adventures with Mummy but this year I could come on a bigger adventure. My step-Mummy is from here and wanted me to come and see where she grew up and meet her friends. Loda is good friends to East Moreland so I need to learn about them and I like learning when I do things.

Krista - What has been the best thing about being here?


Rhiannon We went to an island called Zooya. We played on the beach and I built a big sandcastle. We had a big fancy party too and we got to do pretty dresses and dancing. I've seen Step-Mummy and Daddy have parties like this at home but I'm usually supposed to be tucked in bed but sometimes Auntie Sophie lets me sneak into the gallery and we watch while eating cookies but I've wanted to see if its as fun downstairs and now I know its super fun.

Krista - One day you'll be Queen of East Moreland. Who do you think are East Moreland's best friends and why?

Rhiannon I think we have lots of friends, just like Keira at school has but that's because her Mum owns a cake shop. East Moreland doesn't have a cake shop but we do have friends like Loda and Who Kennyslag. I think our bestest friends though is Loda because Daddy liked them so much he married one of them. We also stuck up for them when someone tried to hurt them and thats what you should do for your best friend. I think though you can have lots of good friends but everyone has a bestie. Mine is Evie because we like the same games. I think if countries like the same thing then they can be friends. Lots of countries like the same things as East Moreland like swapping things they have for things they need. I think we have lots of cool things so I think we can have lots of friends.

Krista - What do you think makes someone a good Queen?

Rhiannon I think a good Queen is like a good King because it doesn't matter if your a boy or girl we can all do the same things. I think my Daddy is a good King because he sticks up for everyone in East Moreland and tries really hard to help people solve their problems. Our next door neighbours Heyra had some people living there try and bully them but  my Daddy didn't let them and so we helped them and now those bullies got chased off and their safe again. That is what a good Queen should do, help everyone. I think a good Queen also makes sure Helus likes us so does stuff to follow the Canley Rules and I wouldn't want Helus to be upset because he can do anything and I'd want him to do nice things for us with his superpowers.

Krista - When your not being a Princess what do you like to do?

Rhiannon Daddy says I always have to remember I'm a Princess but I do like to do things when not doing Princess things. My favouritist thing to do in the world is practice with my sword. I like learning new things with my teacher Sir Charles, he's a really old man but really fast with his sword. I like the fact it makes me strong and fast like a cobra. I like helping out with the animals at the Palace too. We have some sheep that wander the grounds and I sometimes go out with a bucket to help feed them and they rush over to get the food. Sometimes they are so naughty they knock me over but its funny. I like to play with my pet Goldie too. She a Fennex Fox and is four years old. She lives in my room and we have a special backpack I take her in to the stable where we built like a playground for her and I try and teach her tricks. She doesn't do many as she runs round and has fun with me instead. I've started learning to play rugby too. Not proper rugby like the Big Honeybadgers but tag rugby. I like it but not as much as fencing. I also like ice cream.

Krista - You've four more countries left to see on the tour, The Iwi, Ui Cenneslaig, Altona and Bakkermaya what are you most looking forward to seeing?

Rhiannon I remember Bakkymara from a visit there before. Mr. Hugo was really nice to me and gave me a new sword. I'd like to meet him again when I go so I can show him tricks and things I've learned. I've seen lots of pictures of The E-wee and it looks really cool. I know they farm a lot and have lots of sheep so I wonder if they steal food too. Daddy warned me though they have lots of very tricky things I need to learn so that sounds like hard work. Haltona is somewhere I don't know about but has lots of big forests and Daddy says they have lots of Prince and Princesses a similar age to me so I can make new friends there.

Krista - If you could live in one other country on Mundus where would it be and why?

Rhiannon I have three to pick from. Loda because Step-Mummy is from here and I've got Step-Granny and Grandad here and an Uncle. Family is very important and it'd be nice to live near them and play on the beaches all day. Loda are also good friends with East Moreland so I could still see friends in Northfort a lot. My next choice would be Bakkymara as they love Helus like I do and make nice swords so I could do everything I do at home but in their islands they have nice beaches like her in Loda so I could go and learn sword fighting on the beaches then go swimming. My last choice would by Rockyjima because they have a cool sweet shop there that sells the longest strawberry laces in the Universe and I could buy them everyday if I lived there.

Krista -If you could wave a magic wand and solve one problem on Mundus what would it be?

Rhiannon - I've had two brothers who have been born with an illness called MPS. Its not nice and I know my brother Caspian had to go to live with Helus and the Gods because of it. Mummy says one day my little brother Oliver will too and I don't want him too. Children shouldn't have to leave their Mummy, Daddy's and Step Mummys when they're so little because they have lots they need to learn and do first. If I had a magic wand I'd bring Caspian back and make him not ill and I'd make Oliver not ill along with any of the boys and girls who had something similar. I was ill a while back and thanks to my friend Augustin in Neu Urburzis I got better because he got people to donate some bone goo. We should try and get more people to help ill people so we don't need magic wands.

Krista - Finally if you had to be something other than a Princess what would it be and why?

Rhiannon I want to be either a professional Medieval MMA fighter because then I could practice my sword a lot, but I'd have to hurt people which isn't nice. They would know they might get hurt though and we'd all be friends after so its not all bad. If I couldn't do that I'd like to be an animal doctor. My Mummy works with fish at the Marine Centre and I've helped her a lot with Dolphins. I didn't like them at first but now they know me. I also like the animals at the Palace. I'd like to be able to make them better when they get ill because just like humans they don't like being ill and I'd like to make them happy. I know it'll mean I need to learn a lot at school so I try hard to learn things and I like Science, Sport and History because in History Daddy tells me lots of stories. I think though I might not get to do those things as Daddy says a Princess will be very busy but maybe I could learn to look after the animals our family have and make sure they are happy.

Krista - Princess thank you for your time and we hope that you have a great tour around Mundus

Following the announcement by Rokkenjima that they intend to shoot down a satellite with failed systems both the Daitojin and Cenneg space programmes have called for the missile launch not to take place. Seamus O'Lachlan (Head of the Cenneg Space Agency) said, "In the past we have spoken out about the Kessler Syndrome, a theory that an increasing amount of space pollution is going to endanger space operations perhaps even to the point of locking us into low earth orbit by creating an almost impenetrable wall of debris. We currently track over 27,000 objects in orbit around Mundus on a routine basis and this does not account for all the micro pieces that are up there. Launching a satellite killing missile means the creation of thousands more and despite the Rokkenjiman High Command assuring everyone that the debris "will pose no threat to Space Station Adora or those of other space-fairing nations" that is impossible to ascertain. Once the explosion occurs debris potentially numbering in the hundreds of thousands, will be scattered and naturally pieces will collide with other pieces and scatter creating what could effectively be called a debris cloud. This will go into its own orbit and as they are impossible to track most of the pieces it becomes a hazard to space stations, other satellites and even astronauts outside their vehicles. Only last year on inspection of the CNN space station a small little finger nail sized "bullet hole" was found in one of the solar panels obviously caused by such a piece of debris. It is vital that those of us capable of putting things up there have plans to bring things down in such a way that we do not add to this Kessler Syndrome."

Dr.O'Lachlan was asked what alternatives there are. "First of all unless the Rokkenjimans have something up there they probably shouldn't the risk of hazardous material causing a problem on Mundus is negligible. Fuel and gases used in satellite operations will burn up on re-entry. The biggest risk would be it crashing on an inhabited area and this could be avoided. There is the capability of removing the satellite without creating a debris field or at the least minimising the size of the debris field. Daito have various assets in orbit that could bring the satellite back and East Moreland have a trio of satellites (Bludger, Chaser, Seeker) they have used with our own assets to essentially capture satellites for maintainence, refuelling and even on two occasions I'm aware of move them. There is no reason why this can not be done in the case of the Rokkenjiman satellite. We must begin to think creatively about dealing with space debris. We have at least 27,000 objects that in the coming decades are going to need to be cleared and then we will be launching ever more. The advent of cubesats and microsats means thousands are being launched potentially in one or two missions."

Dr.O'Lachlan conceeded that in terms of this operation the point of no return has probably come. "It takes time to calculate and move assets in space. If we've reached a point where Rokkenjima feel this is the only way forward then its likely too late to do anything else. Moving forward nations of the world must begin utilising the assets we have that can help with the Kessler Syndrome or we will make space exploration like walking through an unmapped mine field."   

Krista - This week I've made my way to Samantra. A nation that had become in recent months a leading light in the Rus community of nations as well as having ruffled a few feathers because of its support for the Abrahamic Declaration and some strict domestic policies based on their Orthadox faith. Economically they have attracted the attention of the worlds media with an upcoming mega-engineering project with neighbours Nis and also be apparently welcoming Rokkenjima based Abstergo into their nation. Today I am joined by Stas Petrov Minister for trade, Economy and Finance of the Holy Kingdom of Samantra. Minister Petrov, thank you for speaking with me. If I can start by asking what is the nature of the deal with Abstergo.

Petrov -First allow me to greet you Mrs. Rosendahl and your viewers. Regarding Rokkenjima based Abstergo I can say there is no formal deal. Abstergo has announced its intentions to invest in the Holy Kingdom which our legislation allows. They are planning to invest in the financial sector by offering services via their financial division which is perfectly reasonable. We welcome foreign investment in the Holy Kingdom and we wish them the best in their business here.   


Krista - What do you view as the benefits for your citizens of Abstergo entering the Samantran market? Will there in your view be any down sides?

Petrov -I think the Samantran consumer stands to gain from the extra competition. Those that closely follow the developments in the Duma, our secular legislature, know that among the lobby groups that sided with the Abstergo group was the Debtors’ Rights Association of Samantra. The fact that this happened should make our domestic financial institutions ponder a bit. What exactly are the concerns and dissatisfaction that made them desire to have more foreign competition? Another positive is that it shows our commitment to having an open economy where foreign capital is welcomed. We expect and in fact have already received intentions of investment from other countries including the Empire of Abertone.   
As for the down sides, from the talks I had with trade unions of the banking sector they are concerned it would lead to an overall reduction in the number of financial sector jobs as Abstergo has its HQ in Rokkenjima and the highest paying jobs are of course based there. There are also concerns regarding unfair competition because of its size and apparent advantage via the Anselmo family but we have anti-trust legislation in place should it ever come to that.


Krista - - You've made a point of trying to make co-operation a priority between Rus nations. How do you expect the introduction of Abstergo onto Samantran markets to e/affect your relations with Nis and Zaporozh?

Petrov –Both Niš and Zaporozh are two nations with whom the Holy Kingdom shares not just cultural and religious ties but also bonds of friendship. Samantra has agreements with both countries and nothing in those agreements stops the Holy Kingdom from allowing Rokkenjiman companies to invest in our market nor affects, at least in any significant way that I can think of, the economies of the two countries since our agreements do not feature anything like an common economic market. So I don’t expect that to be an issue going forward.

Krista - Abstergo is partly owned by the Anselmo family who of course control Rokkenjima. Great concerns have been expressed at the decision of your government to comply with Rokkenjiman demands to lift sanctions, such showing a willingness to align with them: how do you perceive the Samantran stance towards investors? Is it a safe haven still?

Petrov – I think there might have been a misunderstanding here. The Holy Kingdom has not showed any willingness with align with the First Empire of Rokkenjima. Our government has shown willingness for dialogue and compromise. The Rokkenjiman side has decided, wisely I might add, to remove their sanctions on the Emirate of Royal Seleucid and the Holy Kingdom has in turn adjusted the Good Samaritan program which was a reason of contention between the two sides. It is my hope that investors will appreciate the willingness to resolve disputes and have trade resume.


Krista - - With the church having a great deal of influence on politics in your country what impact could this have on how Abstergo integrate into your economy.

Petrov – Abstergo is a for profit company and as such I can imagine the pursuit of profit in accordance with local laws and regulations are their main concern and objective. The laws of the Holy Kingdom are public and clear. That is all I can tell you, Abstergo representatives can perhaps tell you more about how they plan to integrate into the Samantran economy.



Krista - Samantra have a rather unique take on government with Jesus Christ as your Head of State. Do you feel that this is a handicap or a blessing to your foreign policy?

Petrov – That is a good question. I would say there are two ways to look at this, first there is the spiritual side. Having our Lord our Jesus Christ as head of state I believe has had a great positive impact in spiritual affairs. However, much of it is above my pay grade so I won’t address that.
The other side, the secular one if you will, I will detail more. One of our greatest diplomats once said “give me a good domestic policy and I will give a good foreign policy”. Our institutional arrangement works best for Samantra and has created the stability and social cohesion that are a great foundation for our foreign policy. Aside for that, I think it also shows Mundus where we stand on a whole range of domestic issues and creates natural affinities. So I would say it has been a major blessing. 


Krista -  If we can turn our attention towards wider issues could I ask about something we've already touched upon what economical consequences -positive & negative- do you see for the construction of the most expensive Nemanjić/Vladmir the Great Bridge? For short and long-terms, including its construction?

Petrov – I think the positive aspects are too many to go into detail. I would say some of the major ones are a boost to the construction sector, interconnectivity with our northern neighbors and friends in Niš, a positive image not just for the Holy Kingdom and Niš but for the whole region.
The downsides, and we are looking to address and mitigate them, are: the great financial costs, the environmental impact and security vulnerability. A project that size needs to be well protected from hostile actors. We are looking to attract foreign partners to finance our part of the bridge, we will see that efforts are made to keep the environmental impact at the minimum and will work closely with our Nišlija partners to make sure that security concerns, however small, are dealt with.


Krista - From the talks in Rayyu it is apparent the Patriach had a great deal of input into the Abrahamic Declaration. With the Abrahamic Declaration receiving a rather in depth focus in Achkaerin Covenant speech are you confident it will not impact global trade especially with their partner Rokkenjima, home of Absertgo, being rather more critical of the document?

Petrov – The question touches several aspects so I will try and address all of them. First, I will note that the concerns raised by the First Empire of Rokkenjima were expressed before the Abrahamic Declaration enjoyed what I would describe as a great success in its adoption by Mundus. We have seen it approved at the ballot box in Abertone, we have seen a non-majority Abrahamic country, the Kermah Confederation, adopt it and we have seen Universal Free Church of Djabidjan also sign it. If I am not mistaken seven nations have already signed the declaration and I expect Zaporozh to follow soon. Those were major landmarks. So I think that we should interpret the focus it received in the Achkaerin Covenant address by looking at how many countries have already adopted it.
Secondly, I expect the Rokkenjiman concerns to subside now after Achkaerin Covenant speech. So I do not expect that global trade will be affected.   
 
Krista - Samantra has made efforts to position itself as a major financial hub of the Rus’ countries but the Rus’ community of nations is very diverse. With Samantra having laws that mandate the income of the wives to be received by the husbands and with the Holy Kingdom adopting the Abrahamic Declaration, aspects which some in the Rus’ world are uncomfortable with, won’t that hurt its chances to achieve its goal?

Petrov – The values of the Holy Kingdom are its strength and the foundation on which the country is built. We won’t change the foundation in pursuit of material goals. A major financial hub means much more than what you mentioned, it means expertise, business friendly regulations and opportunities. Regarding opportunities, I believe the Petrograd Stock Exchange offers some interesting ones to investors including access to the recently merged NisSam Railway Company, the joint nuclear company with Altona, the operator of the Nemanjić/Vladmir the Great Bridge and most of the largest companies in Samantra. So we are in a good position to work towards our goal of becoming a leading financial hub of the Rus’ community of nations. 

Krista -Finally can I ask are you concerned with the recent influx of foreign capitals, that being lodjain and rokkenjimans, for the sovereignty of Samantra and not falling into reliance of third parties?

Petrov –  That is a complicated matter. I don’t think we can talk about reliance but rather more like interdependence since both parties have to gain. The Holy Kingdom is not isolated from international trade and capital flows. For example we import most of oil and gas from MidAranye and I imagine that we are one of their largest customers. Same goes from foreign investments, our companies invest aboard and foreign ones invest in the Holy Kingdom, we are all connected and interdependent. In the case of Lodjan investments, I think that is also a result of the outreach our government has made towards the Rus’ community of nations. I expect as time passes that Samantra’s economy will become more interdependent to that of the Rus’ community of nations. I don’t view that as a problem. Thank you for your questions.

Just over a year ago the Kingdom of Altona elected themselves a new King. With the  Sülldorf dynasty having three siblings who could have inherited the throne many people were perhaps surprised when middle child Rutger Sülldorf was elected to the position of King over his elder brother Lukas. Since then the King has lead his nation on something of a charm offensive where they have completed several significant trade negotiations across Mundus. Today I am joined by the King of one of Mundus smallest nations to look back and reflect on his first year on the throne.

Krista - Thank you for welcoming us to your Kingdom. If we may begin at the start of your reign. Many experts had expected your brother Lukas to be elected to the throne. Where you surprised when you won the election?

Rutger Its great to have this chance to speak to you. To be honest I think the fact that my brother perhaps epitimises what many view as the Kingly virtues Mundus seems fascinated with. Look at many of them, King David, ex-soldier, Emperor Peter, ex-naval officer, King Karlis, freedom fighter. It is clear people make a connection between military might at regal endeavour. Despite my national service I'm not viewed as a soldier, I'm viewed as an administrator. I'm viewed as a man who ran businesses, who ran ministerial departments. Altona is a nation at peace, we have no enemies and we are seeking to keep it that way. Why then should we be surprised the people of Altona thought a man with a track record of work within government was a better choice. That is not to say that my brother and sister would not have made excellent monarchs. I'm lucky to have them in my family to be able to utilise their skills in helping me with my duties.

Krista - While you did win the election you did so with 42%. Does it concern you that the majority of Altonans would have preferred someone other than you to rule the country?

Rutger Of course I would have liked to be in a position with a clear majority. Our system though doesn't work that way. I'm confident that the people of the Kingdom have no complaints about the outcome. I see it that we were lucky enough to have three good candidates and the public in a way may have been spoiled for choice. The point is though to look at how successful people think I've been. In recent surveys around 70% of Altonans are satisfied with my first year and those that aren't point to things such as a lack of expansion into our vast woodlands as a criticism. This is something that will happen but naturally takes much longer than 12 months to arrange.

Krista - If we can start looking at the past twelve months what has been your best achievement since becoming King, what has been your biggest failure?

Rutger In terms of achievements I'm proud that we have been able to build some connections with nations that might perhaps have made people rather surprised. I suspect if you had asked people which nations a new monarch would have invested time to do business with it would have been those of the CSC or CNN. Therefore I think when I was able to secure us friendship with Lijiang, my brother helped us build deals with Samantra and of course ship contracts with Arcaibh have been secured. We've built a rather nice network of friends and then more recently did take the step of heading into the MICA organisation. As for the biggest failure I think perhaps it was not capitalising on this first wave of diplomacy more. We have the SUN nations in our sights as people we think we could do business with and we simply let that pass us by. That will be changing in the next few months but I will now say we shall not be joining SUN.

Krista - A lot of these deals you talk about have included aspects of nuclear energy. The Altonan Electrical Syndicate, a largely Altonan government owned company, have positioned itself as a leading figure in nuclear energy, out competing any other in exports, and naturally plays a part in altonan foreign policies, what is that part, and how shall it evolve?

Rutger As a monarch you utilise whatever tools your nation gives you to benefit your nation. We are blessed to have had engineers and scientists in the field of nuclear physics who have done great things. We've nations out there that are looking for less polluting energy and we've a track record in excellence. By exporting our knowledge in return for concessions, friendship and other arrangements we're no different to a nation like Rokkenjima or Ui Cenneslaig utilising the size of their economy. So long as the AES remain in government hands, and that shall be an extremely long time, and for as long as they maintain their track record we will utilise them as a part of our foreign policy.

Krista - With nuclear energy being a tool as you say how does your nation see the MAEA and do you imagine Altona being part of it in the next five years?

Rutger - I can't imagine us doing so unless things change. I think the MAEA is fine in theory but the problem is we don't live in a world where an open system of information is always beneficial. Under the MAEA details of all projects involving nuclear material would need to be registered. Much of what we are doing is experimental and the inspection system in the MAEA would utilise scientists from other nations, some of whom may be connected to foreign businesses and institutions. As such I would be concerned about our edge being lost. I'd like to reassure the world though that we have no intention to use nuclear material or energy for anything other than peaceful means.

Krista - One of your achievements has been taking Altona into MICA. We understand some aspects of the negotiations were a little more difficult than others. A Heyran economist in the heat of the moment have said that you, and I quote, “was the greatest socialist pain in the bum since the USR” given the role that you have been rumoured to be playing at the Campford MICA summit, as it's been rumoured that you asked for changes in the charter that restricted free trade, what would you respond to this economist?

Rutger - They are not rumours, its true. The charter to my eyes had some issues in the fact that I could envisage a scenario where in effect a trade deal between Vaguzia and say Chistopol would in effect be a trade deal between Altona and Chistopol. Don't get me wrong I have no issues with Chistopol but my duty is not to the people of Chistopol it is to the just shy of nine million Altonans. I do not believe in full free trade. I believe in making trade as streamlined as possible but only to a point of it not harming your nation. We're a small nation with some good entrepreneurs I want them to flourish and competition from nations with larger economies could be a problem. Take for example the fact East Moreland and Rokkenjima are tied through the CSC-East Moreland treaty, we could have ended up with a situation of a mega-corporation like Abstergo using it to their advantage against our smaller economy. I would be a poor king if I allowed that to happen. If that gives a Heyran economist sleepless nights I will not apologise for it.

Krista - If we turn more towards domestic policy. What has Your Majesty done for the poor of Altona during your first year as king?

Rutger I am I suspect lucky. Altona is a nation with a small population and a strong economy. Our GDP per capita is close to $55,000. Thankfully we have few poor people in Altona. We've possibly the lowest population density on Mundus and as such farmers are able to utilise this to ensure crops are grown on scale and utilising the best mass production methods. Food is therefore cheap, energy is cheap, we live mainly in one city so getting around is relatively cheap. That though doesn't mean we shouldn't grow even more. Those towards the bottom end of the financial ladder must be helped to keep climbing. To do that we're looking at expanding opportunities by opening a second planned city, Baumstadt will be built with affordability built in to help every Altonan get a foot on the property ladder, be able to access a good standard of education and secure good jobs.

Krista -What has Your Majesty discovered that not even a king can do in Altona?

Rutger A great many things not limited to getting a 13 year old Prince to do his homework. I can't do everything I would like. There are a great many projects I'd like to be involved in. I want to see Altona taking a leading step in many fields. I want us to begin work to prepare to host large cultural events on a regular basis. I have an eye set on a CETO Festival here. I would one day like to think of us hosting a major games like the Summer ones we are gearing up for. I would love it if we could become a kind of scientific capital of the world. The problem is my time is finite and I need to find the right people to support this. One of the great things about a small population is that we can be very close to the people, one of the draw backs is we sometimes lack the pool of talent compared to people like our MICA neighbours in East Moreland. I can't have us achieve our dreams overnight but I can walk towards them.

Krista -You talk about a pool of talent and earlier about utilising your family for such things. You currently have two children could we perhaps see you look to add of this and in effect increase your family business?

Rutger - I'm blessed with two wonderful children. Karl and Matilda are not necessarily though the future of the Royal Family. I have five nephews and nieces. I think at the time of my death the Witan are likely to have a minimum of seven candidates. That is more than enough to keep them busy. It is therefore not as vital for me to produce children as say the Dragon-Emperor in Lijiang where his family are expected to be a reflection of the nations success. There a large family means more success. Here people expect me to get results. If we have another child then so be it but we are not going to be doing so at the moment.

Krista -Finally may I ask how are you planning to celebrate the first anniversary of your ascension to the throne??

Rutger - As tradition dictates in Altona I will be spending the day before hunting with family and friends. The day of the anniversary itself we'll have a national holiday and a large party in Kasierplaza. Its hoped we'll have enough game to at least put on food for a great number of the people who attend. Other than that I intend to spend time among my people thanking them for their hard work since I've been King.

Krista -King Rutger. Thank you for your time and good luck with your hunt. Next week we are joined by Suketoshi Heishi, Prime Minister of Daito

In last weeks feature we were joined by the Kings of East Moreland and The Commonwealth of the Unified Iwi, both fresh off the success of the Historic Crimes Treaty, a document that they each hope will become the cornerstone of the international communities approach to righting wrongs of the past. This week we start our conversation around another new document, the Abrahamic Declaration. The document is an attempt, starting in Midaranye, to place human rights on a footing seen acceptable by some nations who have traditionally struggled to marry up the MCUR and their culture which is often deeply rooted in their faith. The Declaration today has gained support from several other nations including Samantra, Kodima and rather surprisingly Kermah. Perhaps then as we begin our conversation with what could be considered its founder Kermah would be a good place to start.

Krista - Lets begin with Kermah, they are the first non-Abrahamic nation to sign the treaty, does that surprise you and do you think more will?

Emir - If I'm being up front with you I was never expecting a nation outside of Judaism, Islam or Christianity to sign the Declaration. I am aware though that there is a significant minority of Christians in Kermah but still never enough to make me believe their nation would approve of it. The document is a very clear attempt to codify rules of faith that many of us hold true. The fact that a nation where what I suspect would best be described as folk faiths dominate share these concepts is important. It shows that despite huge differences there is much to unite the world. I though think we may not see others follow in their wake. Nations like say Nya Aland where you are from have significant cultural differences that means perhaps this approach would not fit them yet but that does not prevent a friendship.

Krista - Nations such as Nya Aland would argue that this Declaration is actively going to diminish rights. For example I'm a bisexual woman, previously married to a woman yet your Delcaration would potentially mean that this right could be taken away from me. Your declaration states "Men and women have the right to marriage, and no restrictions stemming from race, colour or nationality shall prevent them from exercising this right.?" This would allow nations to effectively ban same sex marriage, something the MCUR has enshrined in law. Is the Abrahamic Declaration therefore a danger to the LGBTQ+ community?

Emir Far from it. As a Muslim I believe that marriage is a blessing from Allah and that Allah wishes us to marry so we can form families. As such I am sad to say your late wife and yourself could not have done this naturally so therefore you could not fulfil the purpose of marriage in Allah's plan. We are not going out and hunting down members of the LGBTQ community or anything like it. I believe Christians use a phrase of "Hate the sin but love the sinner". Allah creates us all but he has also given us rules for life. A scholar called John Wicks describes human existence as a "Vale of Soul Making" a place and time where the creator gives us an opportunity to develop our souls and become good moral people. It is possible to be gay and be moral, that goes without saying, but that is the Greater Jihad, to face our desires, our problems, our challenges in life and remain as close to Allah as possible.

Krista - Are you satisfied with how Mundus received it so far? Was there any reaction or lack of reaction that surprised you ?

Emir I'm delighted with how its been received. I had expected maybe ourselves and Kodima to be signatories, and if that had happened that would have been the will of Allah. To see nations like Samantra not just sign it, but under Patriarch Alexy be a real guider of its formation, has been exciting. While I was the politican who was able to gather together those who created the words it was people like the Patriarch, Bishop Cheon Suk-won, Rabbi Shalev, and Mansur Karimi that breathed life into the idea. Your introduction said I was the founder of this, its a great honour, but those holy souls who gathered with me are its founders as compared to them I am just a man trying to understand the Almighty, these men are living vessels of knowledge. Naturally we expected criticism, and we have seen that come from various corners of Mundus. Clysperis being a good example. It was to be expected as not all nations embrace the God we of the Abrahamic faiths do. What does though concern me is a lack of understanding of faiths such as mine. The Pharoah stated she was concerned "when religion is intermixed with international politics" , yet to me Islam is intermixed with everything whenever we make a decision one of the first things we do is consider what would Allah wish us to do. She herself said the MCUR is more in accordance with her own faith, this too being a display of religion and international politics mixing. While criticism is inevitable of any treaty or charter it will not prevent me dealing with those who see our view as not compatible with others. While people like the Pharoah may not share our views but we share common aims, she herself has just begun to share our view on slavery having outlawed the practice, the Declaration clearly states "Everyone shall be free to choose the work that suits them best and which serves their interests as well as those of the society." something I believe both our nations agree on. It is these shoots that show that our nations aren't too different.

One of the greatest demonstrations that has pleased me though is in Abertone, the population confirming this document is the one they wish to act as a protection for their life. Further still the democratically elected Duma of Samantra doing likewise is for a stamp of approval from the ordinary working man so to speak. I am blessed by their show of trust in what we put together.

Krista - Historically there has been talk of Midaranye being a region viewed as a form of outsider to global affairs. Is this a view you believe in ?

Emir - I think historically perhaps much of our region was involved with inward looks and seeing people of differences as a problem rather than oppurtunity. To our West we have Tamora, an Empire with a less than stellar reputation, we have Royal Seleucid, a nation with a tarnished past following their occupation of the Iwi and the recent Cultist genocide. Even our friends in the north Kodima have a side to them that to those unwilling to delve would seem expansionist with their saying of "From Jerusalem to the Kyne". These things may make the region seem old fashioned, problematic or "evil". But lets look at more modern times. Royal Seleucid have done a great deal to try and bring nations in the region together and has become a hub of Midaranye co-operation. Tamora have carried out vast aid projects in Alba Karinya, the opposite side of the world. We are a region that perhaps suffers from a bad press but look at place like Elysium, my ongoing conversations with Heyra, Royal Seleucid even had a Lodjain Queen for a short period. We are not outsiders but we are perhaps more introspective than many areas.

The Empire of Tamora have been routinely sanctioned and seen as a pariah by some nations outside of MidAranye, destabilising the overall region by its policies and well-known legal slavery; what is the current stance that your Majesty have over Tamora, and the ambitions it have regarding them?

Emir The recent Declaration shows my stance on slavery. The charter of that clearly states "Everyone shall be free to choose the work that suits them". Slavery takes away that choice. Slavery is something that I would not allow in Rayyu, it is consigned to the past. Tamora will one day come to the same realisation and I will utilise peaceful means to help guide that way. When we trade with them it will be for slave free products, their Kingdom of Attica I believe is doing a fine job there. There are tools internationally such as the Freestone Mark that allow us to police it. I hope one day Emperor Abbas will see that his nation can be just as prosperous, maybe even more so, without slavery. But faith is a difficult thing to overcome and I believe one day the Manists will, just as Islam has, come to see slavery as an injustice. We will not embrace Tamora as brothers like Royal Seleucid, but neither will we see them as the outcasts many have. They are neighbours and you should treaty them with love and respect.

Krista- You've had a rather unique international relations problem following an incident over a historic tribute payment from your neighbours Kizard, could you perhaps explain this and what the future holds for your relations.?

Emir - Historically each year the Emir of Kizard pays our Emir, in this case me, a tribute. It dates back to their first Emir being granted the island by my ancestors. It may appear to many as a quirky issue but to us it is a matter of significance. Since the foundation of Kizard as an Emirate it has relied on Rayyu as a source of many of its needs. We arrange today for its fresh water, we ensure it has produce beyond what it grows, we supply it with oil and gas. Even down to the fact that many of its people come to us seeking employment. We do a great deal to support and maintain the island, work that costs us millions each year. Our tribute this year was $214,525.23, a mere fraction of what we spend supporting them. By refusing to pay this year at first they embarrassed us and themselves. It disrupted trade and positive relations. Thankfully their Emir has straightened out the problem and normal relations have resumed following payment in the form of land. We will now develop that land to ensure it creates jobs and prosperity for the people in its area and already I have invested around $2million there with a further $10million planned over the coming years. It is safe to say a payment of around $200,000 to receive a $12million investment makes sound business sense. Kizard are our cousins and families occasionally fight, but always come back together as families. Our future is one where I believe both of us can become great places to live.

Krista - Thank you for your time. Please join me next week when I travel to Altona to reflect on King Rutger's first 12 months on the throne.

https://discord.gg/44twcrK7 - invite to leave questions for Rutger

Finley liked the idea of what he had heard. The set up wouldn't suit every procurement need, nor would it be something Finley would want as it had the potential to short change some of his own nations manufacturers but it was also a chance to get those manufacturers more work. "I think we'd like to come on board, at least for now, and see where things take us. We'll review the situation in a year or so. I would suggest however that we look at perhaps seeing what these militaries are capable of so could I invite you to a training exercise, I'd like to put together a joint Celtic task force for it, say 10,000 men from all our nations and I'll either put up a further 10,000 men as an enemy force or we could invite our allies from the CNN. Is this something you would be interested in?"

With the ink still drying on the Historic Crimes Treaty its two principle authors, King David of East Moreland and King Piripi of the Commonwealth of the Unified Iwi, have joined me to discuss the formation of that document, where it goes in the future and several unrelated matters. The Treaty itself was born out of a breakdown in relations between the Unified Iwi and Rokkenjima when the Rokkenjiman government began various patrols targeting observing Maori Naval assets. The two Kings have had several meetings and video calls that saw the treaty created as both a way of solving the stand off with the Rokkenjimans while simultaneously giving the Maori a way to see justice done. Between the 1600's and 1983 the occupying forces of Royal Seleucid committed a wide range of atrocities against the Maori ranging from utilising the Maori as medical experiments, mass executions and torture. Meanwhile the Morelanders feel an obligation to ensure the protection of members of the Cult of Helus following a genocide attempt in Royal Seleucid and then the expulsion of Cultists from Mavrosia. We currentlty stand at 14 nations having signed the document but to date there has been no use of the youngest treaty on Mundus. Tonight we get to learn a little more about the formation of the Treaty and the men who authored it.

Krista - If I may begin by asking when did work begin on the Treaty and what was the catalyst behind it?

David From my end the study of history showed me there are a whole host of events in modern history that cry out that people have escaped justice. I've always wanted a way of trying to right that and while originally the Uppsala Convention was an oppurtunity to get that done we didn't think there was much chance to press through with it at the time. When our friends began having difficulty getting suspects extradited we felt it was time to revisit but just as the Uppsala Convention needed a co-author I believed this did too.

Piripi From our side we've tried bringing perpetrators to justice but seen very little uptake from other nations across Mundus. When our naval vessels began being monitored as part of Operation Typhoon we knew that we would need some kind of mechanism to bring people to justice. I've spoken with King David several times and he'd mentioned something like this and so when he asked if I'd be willing to work with him I naturally said yes. That then lead us to spend a few hours before rugby games and via the wonder of video conferencing working towards the creation of a document that with help from King Karlis, First Minister Laine, Head Gothi Ulfsson and Queen Atalanta we've been able to get this over the finishing line.

Krista - Now that it has been signed how long do you think it will be before it gets utilised?

Piripi I would hope soon. The initial Director-General of the investigative part of the Treaty is Otikoro Muhali, he has set up a brilliant team in the Commonwealth that have a track record of finding perpatrators across Mundus. He now has access to a much wider set of resources and of course this will enable him to cover more ground in many ways. Add to this the fact that now when he does find someone we have a mechanism in place meaning we can get to these people. I would hope within the next few months we can start seeing the first arrests and while I hope it will lead to people being sent to the nation where the crime was committed I doubt that will happen.

David I echo that. My understanding is Mr.Muhali already has a list of people he wishes to see put on trial and I guess he will likely already have a head start on many. We're putting together a team of young legal graduates to help him and his staff with the aim of beginning the processes we have enshrined in the Treaty. When we signed the Treaty with the three other nations it was my hope that we can have the first trial by the end of this year and see the Treaty having a real impact on Mundus.

Krista - What would you say to critics of the treaty that say these events are in many cases a long time in the past and that it would be far better to just simply move on.?

David I'd say to them something my old University tutor Dr.Marcus Merriman was fond of saying, "Those who do not learn the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat them." The idea of letting someone from just a few years ago escape justice because of time is insane. Even those who committed crimes against Chistopol when the Soviets occupied it must be brought to justice. To do otherwise shows would be perpatrators that you can escape justice.

Piripi Our society says that victims of crimes suffer a lose of spiritual power, or tapu. Until justice has been given an individuals tapu can not be restored. We have literally millions of Maori spanning generations that had their spiritual power destroyed alongside their physical bodies. For us this is as much about restoring the tapu of those who have gone before us by showing the world we remember their plight. While we will be trying to bring as many of those who occupied our homeland as possible to justice we will also be conducting work to record the names of anyone from any point in the history of our occupation that took part in the genocide of our people and culture. Time must not be a safe haven.

Krista - With both nations having a reason to believe Selecuid citizens have perpatrated crimes of interest to your people can we expect any measures to be taken against them??

Piripi We already have no diplomatic connection to them and see no reason to change that. There are no direct flight to that nation, no trade between us and we have no embassy there, nor do they have one here. This is a situation that I will not be seeking to change. With the new treaty we hopefully have the ability to exact pressure on them to hand over criminals when we discover their whereabouts and I hope nations will not hesitate to utilise the ideas we have put onto paper.

David For ourselves we are in a strange situation. There is a mistrust there between ourselves and the Seleucid, mainly as there has been little done to ensure the guilty are punished in a way that is meaningful. Thousands of Seleucid military members took part in the genocide attempt against Cultists and yet less than 100 people have been punished, most with very leniant prison sentences. On the other hand we stand as a nation committed to protecting the members of the Cult if required, as well as others who can not protect themselves. The Celtic Protectorate gave us hope things would change, so far things have been going well there but time will tell if it can be maintained. We shall review the situation as and when trials are needed.

Krista - As we go to air a total of 14 nations have signed the Treaty. Do you think this will become one of the pillars of the international community?

Piripi In a word no. The International Community is not a community. We live on a Mundus that is fragmented into groups. We will not have a situation where those fragmentations repair. There is no issue that will get all nations together. Look at the idea of human rights, something I think all nations agree on that their citizens should have rights. But which rights? To many the MCUR was that document but even then it never got universal support, now we have an alternative in the Abrahamic Declaration, and that too will never get universal rights. People focus too much on these documents on things that are a large chasm apart, for example the idea of transgender rights. There are then nations like ourselves who culturally will struggle with some of the concepts of both documents. What nations need to do is focus on the similarities, the MCUR and Abrahamic version both highlight things such as no torture, no false imprisonment and protection for children. We should applaud that and let it unite us, but we won't. This is the reason why we won't see this document become one of those pillars.

David - I'm a little more hopeful. The international community is always going to have splits but that doesn't mean we can't co-operate. The FSC while not signed by all nations on Mundus is followed in spirit. The Uppsala Convention has shown that documents like that can have an impact for good as we've seen a reduction in weapons of mass destruction since its creation. I don't think for something to become important internationally it needs unanamous support. It just needs nations willing to stand squarely behind and when the time comes put their shoulder to the wheel and make things happen. I'm confident that the initial five members of this and now the additionally nine will do exactly that.

Krista - Lets turn our attention away from this treaty for a moment or two. Could I ask with the S.U.N. seeming to become politically active across Mundus do you think they pose a threat to the C.N.N.
?

David I don't see them as a threat. I think they exist as a result of some mismanagement of foreign policies. If we look at the membership we've some nations with serious diplomatic muscle. First Paracambi, a nation whose Emperor gave me a tough time recently and a founder of TUNA, a significant economic bloc with great policies on the environment. Cassiopeia, since Queen Atalanta regained control of her homeland we've seen them take stands to ensure the FSC was followed correctly and take a leadership role in pulling together these disenchanted nations. In the guise of Drenovia we have a nation that simply seeks to carve out protections for its citizens as it has a fear like we ourselves did of the wider world. Finally we have Chistopol, King Karlis is a great man and his current First Minister have brokered peace between the two Kaitaines and then orchestrated treaties with former Soviet targets. I have yet to see anything in these four that I would consider hostile. I think the S.U.N is an intriguing organisation and I wish it well.

Piripi King Karlis is a man we took inspiration from in the Commonwealth. He lead his people to drive the Soviets out and is a Warrior Chief. True Warrior Chiefs do not seek war but ensure they are prepared for them. I think it makes sense to have several nations you view as close friends and we've been blessed with them. Cassiopeia are our neighbours and I look forward to working with them. I am yet to meet King Karlis but I look forward to doing so. The way I have just spoken of these two Heads of state should tell you whether I view them as a threat.

Krista - Is there plans to extend the CNN and if so who would you like to see join?

Piripi The plan is to take each situation as it arises. I know we have had nations discuss with us as Heads of State relations with the C.N.N and that's great. If you are asking if we are actively recruiting then my answer would be no. A pre=requisit would be that whoever wishes to join should enjoy good relations with each of us, we started as a group of friends and we remain that. New friends can join but you join once you are a friend, not simply by filling in an application form.

David I think the C.N.N. is at a point where we don't need another member. But just because you don't need something doesn't mean that you won't get something, occasionally opportunities arise that are interesting and must be investigated. Unlike the old C.I.S and C.S.T.O defence is not the heart of why we exist. We exist because our four nations had monarchs who became friends and from there our nations became friends. The C.N.N. have spent more time on co-operative projects than we have on military matters. While defence is one aspect of our charter it is not the bit that interests me the most. In the future I can imagine perhaps one or two more nations joining as we become closer friends with their leadership.

Krista - The idea of friendship brings me to a question for King David. Your nation has been ranked by a Heyran based company as having the most soft power of all the nation of Mundus. In your opinion what does East Moreland do that other nations don't or do poorly?

David I'm already on record saying I'm proud our nation is seen this way. It reflects brilliantly on the work that our ambassadors, civil servants and foreign office have done. I think we have been successful as we want our connections to not be dependent on paper. Many people view diplomacy as the need for getting a piece of paper with four key articles, better trade, better travel, embassies and a paper agreement to not fight. Paper though is no guarantee of success. Look at Heyra and Rokkenjima, at one point they had pieces of paper with all these things on and now they are at each others throats most weeks. While I add my name to treaties I see that as only putting on the historic record that I have given my word I will do something and that is the most important thing. The Book of the Shield tells us "Do actions agree with words? There's your measure of reliability." In my time as King I'd like to think I have shown myself to be reliable and if I say something then it is as good as done. I guess our success is that I'm predictable. As for other nations from what I read and see it is that they often only want that bit of paper, they don't want a relationship with the culture, the heritage and the soul of the nation they are doing business with. They often enter into projects with the idea of nations being unequal partners. Every nation on Mundus has much they can offer that will help me and my Kingdom.

Krista - With that in mind does that explain why we have seen you guarantee East Moreland's global influence through organisms such as the CNN and the faith of Helus, and regionally through MICA; what is left as Morelanders' needs to its goals regarding foreign relations??

David holds up a hand and begins counting fingers - Abertone, Zaporazah, Samantra, Drenovia, Kodima. I could go on and on. These are our goals, the nations with whom I've not yet had a chance to visit their homeland. I enjoy travelling and I enjoy seeing other lands and cultures, while I've seen a great deal of Mundus there are still many corners to get to and these each present an opportunity to help East Moreland make new friends and with friendship comes mutually improved prosperity. As for the various organisations these are merely the frameworks that allow amazing things to happen. The partnership with Cenneg and Alander space programmes came through these and allowed our engineers to literally shoot for the stars. We then have our friendship at a more local level that allowed us to effectively make the Illumic free from piracy. If we make the world better we reap the benefits and that can't be done alone. I find myself in a rather unique position as members of the Cult of Helus believe I am descended from our great hero Raimond Unasson. That brings with it some responsibilities and pressures but it is a nice position to be in as I know it has opened some doors that would otherwise likely have been shut. In short our goal in foreign relations is to make more relationships.

 Krista - If we contrast that with the Commonwealth, some see you as perhaps the weaker of the CNN nations due to you being less economically developed. Is there anything you can tell us about the way you intend to close the gap, if at all.

Piripi One thing about the Maori you should know is that we are not frightened by hard work. For the time being we are a nation that lacks the economic fire power of our Cenneg and Morelander friends but we are by no means a poor relation. Without offending my friend here I think we are the strongest community within the CNN. The sense of belonging that our people have is incredible, partly because of our tribal structures and rituals and partly because the war for freedom is still a fresh scar. We've been focused for too long on the idea of vengeance and been like a teenager sulking in our room. Well now we are going to change that. We're a nation blessed to have probably just enough oil and gas to provide for ourselves, maybe a few imports. If we can create a situation where we can begin exporting these then we stand a great chance of investing in other avenues. We are a nation with a proud maritime heritage that has yet to hit the 21st Century in terms of what we can produce. That will be where we shall start and then we'll put in place projects to move younger Maori from the fields and forests to the labs, workshops and offices of the world.

Krista - You just described your nation as being like a teenager sulking in your room. I suspect this could explain why the Iwi has been more discrete for some time before signing the Historic Crimes Treaty, what can we expect from the Iwi in terms of foreign affairs agendas in the next 12 months

Piripi I have three goals. The first is to establish strong relationships with our two Ardian Gulf neighbours. I think if myself and Queen Atalanta can reach a good understanding we have an ideal bridge between the S.U.N and the C.N.N. which can be useful in the years to come. I then want to ensure our friendship with Abertone is established and who knows we could examine a kind of Gulf of Auraxis style arrangement for our gulf that would help us all. Goal number two is to see what we can do to ensure that even more nations sign the Historic Crimes Treaty. We have some noticeable nations that have yet to add their signature and that must be addressed. If one of the youngest nation on Mundus, the Theocracy of Kaitaine, can add their signature and appreciate the potential this has for us all then surely nations with much longer histories can see the benefit. The third goal is to put together a proposal to the Cultural Exchange Treaty Organisation for a real push to have historic artefacts returned. We've seen it in their charter for years but very little done to make it happen. I know David here was guilty of having stolen artefacts from Lijiang and he willingly turned them over, other nations that have an Imperial past or a privileged class with access to the wealth of exploration, colonisation and exploitation from the past need to hand stuff over.

 Krista - Final question for each of you. In a recent poll the Rokkenjiman people hailed Heyra as "the greatest threat to global peace and security?" Is this an opinion you recognise as valid and who is the greatest threat to peace and security?

Piripi To our north we have Heyra. If you go and visit the border between the Commonwealth and Heyra you will not see masses of fortifications, machine gun nests or minefields. Heyra are a nation that at times can be stubborn but they are a nation I respect. Trade between our lands could be so much easier and quicker for all if they had less ties with Tamora but I don't expect an unprovoked artillery shell to come our way because of this. As for what I see as the greatest threat to peace and security it would be arrogance. Nations thinking their actions are the only correct ones and that their way of life is the way of life all Mundus must follow. We've seen a counter culture to that in the past 12 months and it'll continue growing turning nations inwards.

David - Heyra are not a threat. They are a nation we've had our own falling outs with but when push comes to shove we know they are not dangerous. We've a lot of co-operative projects with them ranging from companies clearing up minefields and then using the mine free land for scientific research, our armed forces helped restore order to their capital and all our ejector seats are made there. I would find it hard to understand why anyone would say they are a threat to global peace and security. I understand the dynamic between them and Rokkenjima as at one point East Moreland and Heyra had similar problems but even then we had peace as we just let each other go our own ways. As for the greatest threat to world peace and security I don't think its a nation. I think its personalities. Take the Kaitaine situation, put a Soviet citizen and a Bene Gesserit citizen in a room together and I suspect the last thing they'd do is start fighting. As leaders it is up to us to act always in a spirit of friendship with all, but stand ready to confront those who take advantage of this friendship.

 Krista - I'd like to thank the pair of you for your time and I wish you, your nations and your new Treaty all the best for the future. Please join me next week when I travel to Rayyu to interview the Emir about the Abrahamic Declaration among other things.


OOC- I think the discord question drop box worked well. Except for deleting Nova's question to Piripi by accident. I think I remembered roughly what it was so forgive me Nova if I messed it up. You can begin leaving questions for the Emir in the discord as some already have. Thanks.

The conversation in the kitchen had turned to business and plates were now being collected from breakfast. King Finley bid guests such as Evanthe and the royals from Achkaerin a happy day at the games and along with the Grand Marshall Kenneth Macrae, Queen Eithne and Queen Talulla made his way up to the roof of the estate house where they had views over the whole of the Games Arena. Now it was just the pureblooded Celts Finley broke out the best whiskey and sat everyone down.

"Now downstairs someone asked whether I'd be interested in becoming part of the Celtic Co-Operative Armament Project. I've seen some of its products and its done good work. I have two questions though, what would being part of it involve and how would it improve our military?"

Stein knew his situation was very different to the others, while they had problems with old occupiers the Ålanders had to deal with religious extremists. Stein knew that the document would do a lot to help his nation finally bring them to justice when tracked down and so had no hesitation but to sign. "I'm hopeful this will help us ensure justice is not something that can be escaped from. I ask Odin to support what we do here." He said as he signed the document.

The Head Gothi had less concern of the need to find approval from the legislature back home but he too was confident that the people would, if asked, approve of it. "Unlike the First Minister I have sole authority for foreign affairs and therefore I can say that we're onboard."

Stein had to admit that his nation had a lot less skin in this game than the other nations. They had only got issues with the Gungnir that the Uppsala Convention couldn't be used for. This provided a hope that perhaps there could be some justice in a way. "Over the years our nation has come to trust the Morelanders. We've worked together in some extreme circumstances and its always come out relatively in our favour." The Head Gothi began to explain. "I'd be happy if we ended up with what we have at present changed. Currently if a member of the Gungnir from the Uppsala Disaster was captured in say Tytor we would face a possibly long and drawn out potentailly unsuccessful attempt at securing an extradition meaning the perpatrator goes free. Now this treaty could give us a way of ensuring those people at least see a form of justice locked inside this prison system here. I would rather that than know somewhere the Gungnir can escape justice. I do though perhaps think we need to have something about early release. Might I suggest therefore that Article 3 state something like. "Should an inmate reach the minimum tariff that forms part of their sentence it shall be the role of the Tribunal to determine whether they are to be given parole and what manner that will take."

Today it was confirmed that the latest operation on the CNN Space Station has been successful. The space station has now received a new addition to its solar panels built by East Moreland's SFR. The panels were installed on one side of the station while the ones of the other side remained untouched. The station will now monitor the performance of the two sets of panels over the next 48 hours and should the new panels be more productive it is expected that the older panels will also be replaced. The mission has been described by the Cenneg Space Agency as being "as routine as a space walk can be." The CSA and East Moreland's Royal Aeronautical Society have been working on improving the infrastructure of the space station ready for it becoming more permanently manned. The current mission has also seen a Heyran astronaut onboard the station conducting experiments however they were not directly involved in the solar panel installation.

When the current mission comes to an end it is expected that the first all Maori mission to the space station will take place.

With the coronation of the new Queen of Lodja due tomorrow King Finley has arrived in the capital of Lodja, Gaia, and has hinted at a shift in Cenneg foreign policy. The King made a visit to the site of the former East Moreland embassy which was devestated by a missile attack during the recent conflict. King David had visited earlier in the day. King Finley and the Morelander monarch meet later at the Ui Cenneslaig embassy in Gaia which has been hosting the East Moreland diplomats until their new embassy opens. The discussion between the two was said to be "as friendly as ever and largely not focused on diplomatic issues." Following the meeting King Finley was joined by his wife, Queen Riona and his brother Prince Lennox who for a short time served on the Lodjain Conclave. The Cennag royals were joined at a beach front restaurant by Lady in Waiting Jasmina Danielva who the Prince is said to be in a relationship with.

In a meeting with the press King Finley though indicated that in the coming months his focus would be on the "Celtosphere" saying "We've had meetings at the Highland Games with our Celtic neighbours on a scale that has never happened in living memory. I'm excited where these relationships can go. The CNN will always be there and our friendships are as strong as ever. I though have yet to see the person who has too many friends and with us now having this opportunity to work on projects with our Celtic brothers and sisters I want to focus on that. We've similar governmental systems and I think making some co-operative steps in the future months will help us and even the CNN be more prosperous."