Polska comes to Éire

[lkfht]

TO: Foreign Ministry, Fourth Republic of Poland

FROM: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Republic of Ireland

SUBJ: Official Visit

 

On behalf of Grand Chancellor Leonardo Kennedy, Prime Minister Mary Baron, and the entire Irish government, I invite the Polish government to send a delegation to Dublin at their earliest convenience to discuss further relations between our two states.

 

Sincerely,

 

- Foreign Minister Kendal Mayers

 

[TheShammySocialist]

To: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Republic of Ireland

From: The Office of the Foreign Minister of the Fourth Republic of Poland

 

SUBJ: RE:Official Visit

 

Salutations Kendal Mayers,

 

On behalf of President Lech Sikorski and the Polish Government, we accept your proposal and Mr. Sikorski and I will make preparations for making the trip to Ireland within the fortnight. Furthermore, we thank you for this invitation being extended to us.

 

President Sikorski has informed me to tell you that he looks forward to making the trip and meeting with Ireland once again at the table of diplomacy. I hope that we will find an accord that will bring mutual benefits to our two respective great nations.

 

Best Regards,

 

[I]Wadislaw Maczek[/I]

 

Following preparations being made and final details being worked out over the itinerary of the meeting being worked out by lower level Polish/Irish officials, Poland's governmental delegation, including President Sikorski, Foreign Minister Maczek, as well as Chief of the General Staff, Field Marshal Ritter Anderswozski, would depart for Dublin on board a standard Polish Air Force transport with government logos.

 

As the aircraft departed Warsaw, a message was flashed to Dublin to alert the Irish of the impending arrival of the Polish jet in their airspace, halfway over the North Sea, the airliner made contact with Irish ATC to confirm their arrival. Whilst en route, the Polish delegation worked out last minute details surrounding the impending discussions and how these discussions would shape Polish foreign policy in Europe.

[lkfht]

With the Polish response indicating that a high-level delegation would be dispatched to Ireland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made immediate preparations with the Ministry of Defense and Protective Services Division in order to coordinate events and security protocols. Once air traffic control was notified of the Polish government jet's intentions, the Air Force dispatched 2 Rafale MRFs to escort and protect the plane as it landed at Air Base Dublin. As the plane touched down and taxied to a designated VIP section of the air base, an air stairs was brought out to meet the plane. An honor guard would line the right side of a red carpet rolled out in front of the air stairs. A motorcade of several vehicles approached the parked plane. Once the motorcade pulled in front of the air stairs, Grand Chancellor Leonardo Kennedy and Foreign Minister Kendal Mayers stepped out to greet the Polish delegation.

 

As the Polish President and his entourage descended the air stairs, Grand Chancellor Kennedy would approach him and say, "Hello Mr. President! Its is an honor to meet with you today. Thank for coming to Dublin, I sincerely hope we may be able to grow closer military and political ties between our two countries. With me today is Foreign Minister Kendal Mayers." Stepping aside the Foreign Minister would step forward, "Greetings Mr. President. I would like to welcome you to our beautiful country. Since our last meeting I have had the opportunity and honor to work closely with your permanent representative to our country, Mr. Donald Brody. If there is anything you need please let me know."

[TheShammySocialist]

Once the air stairs and everything was arranged on the tarmac below, a Polish Air Force officer would pull open the bulkhead and allow for the Polish delegation to step out. Despite the appearance of looking rather tired, Sikorski took the stairs with his usual energetic step, with his other two delegates and a handful of senior aides bringing up the rear. The Polish governmental delegates would give nods and Anderswozski a crisp salute to the honor guard that had assembled before turning their attention to Kennedy and Mayers.

 

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kennedy," nodded Sikorski, shaking his hand firmly, "Mayers, you as well."

 

"This is Mr. Wadislaw Maczek, my genius of foreign relations, and Field Marshal Anderswozski, Chief of the General Staff. Thank you for inviting us to Ireland, I haven't had a chance to get out and visit the European capitals since I took office," continued Sikorski, allowing the group to exchange pleasantries. "I hope Mr. Brody is behaving himself, I heard he enjoys to visit several pubs around the city," he added, with a smirk.

[lkfht]

"It is my honor to host our Polish allies here in Dublin," replied Grand Chancellor Leonardo Kennedy. He then greeted Field Marshal Anderswozski and Foreign Minister Wadislaw Maczek. Grand Chancellor Kennedy then motioned to President Sikorski to step into an awaiting car. Once both delegations were in the motorcade, it left Air Base Dublin for the Grand Chancellor's Palace.

 

In the car Foreign Minister Kendal Mayers began speaking to her counterpart, "So mister Foreign Minister, if you and your delegation don't mind we will head to the Grand Chancellor's Palace for official discussions and then we would like to take you to Naval Base South Shields to review our naval fleet and discuss further military cooperation."

 

[TheShammySocialist]

"Sounds perfectly fine to me," nodded Maczek, as the rest of the group began proceeding towards the convoy of vehicles waiting for them. "I'm sure that both the President and Field Marshal will enjoy the fleet review, they've been in meetings regarding the Polish Navy for the better part of two weeks. Its been very busy for the Ministry of National Defense," he continued.

 

Sikorski relaxed back in his seat as they left the air base, and turned his attention to Kennedy, "How fares Ireland at this point and time? Its been awhile since our two respective governments have had high-level talks such as these."

[lkfht]

"Ireland has gone through some rough patches, mainly the conflict in Sierra Leone. We continue to lend our civil assistance but we are no longer militarily involved. How is Poland doing?"

[TheShammySocialist]

"Poland has largely gotten back to normal since the war, and we're doing quite well, trying to increase our overseas relations, both in strategic and economic affairs," nodded Sikorski, clasping his hands in his lap.

 

"We are an evolving state, continuing to strive to improve all facets of our society, and this has been largely successful, and I'm personally looking forward to the future."

[lkfht]

"As am I mister President, as am I."

 

The motorcade arrived at the Grand Chancellor's Palace. Kennedy and Mayers exited the vehicles first, followed by the members of the Polish delegation. Kennedy then escorted the group inside and brought them to a meeting room. The palace staff seated the honored guests first and then the Grand Chancellor and Foreign Minister. They would be offered drinks before they began. Kennedy would have a Scotch and Mayers a glass of water. Kennedy would begin formal discussions by saying, "Again, I would like to welcome you to our nation's capital and hope to further bilateral relations between our two countries. I would like to open today's discussion on how we can further military cooperation. Any thoughts?"

 

 

[TheShammySocialist]

"I'm glad to hear this," nodded Sikorski, as they arrived at the Palace, all of the Poles seemingly observing the structure with a certain air of respect. They would follow the directions of Kennedy and the staff who guided them into a meeting room, where they would all take a seat slowly. All the Poles would order up drinks to enjoy whilst Kennedy talked.

 

"Thank you for welcoming us once again, though I think Anderswozski would best handle the military side of things, Field Marshal?" said Sikorski, looking over at his Chief of the General Staff.

 

"Sir," nodded the Field Marshal, sitting back in his chair and affixing Kennedy with an even stare, "Poland is looking to expand its ability to project power in a strategic fashion. We've made inroads economically in many parts of the globe, but those interests could be threatened at any time by a hostile nation, or asymmetric threat that is without a state. For those reasons, and for Poland to remain relevant in this world, that means working with partners abroad to be able to establish the ability of our state to have a global reach. That requires staging points and bases, and military cooperation with nations abroad, our nations already share several of these common factors, and I think that we should increase them as a matter of mutual interest."

[lkfht]

"My government sees Poland as a close ally and a strategic one as well. As I understand it, Poland is building navy but only has one naval base in the works. I am willing to offer Scapa Flows to Poland to build a naval base in exchange for technological support in various projects. We would also like to see an upgrade in our current treaty status and work more closely militarily, namely joint military exercises."

[TheShammySocialist]

Both Sikorski and Anderswozski took notes whilst Maczek listened attentively, Anderswozski nodding as Kennedy spoke, Sikorski rubbing his chin when Kennedy mentioned assistance on technological support. After Kennedy was done speaking, both Sikorski and Anderswozski conferred for a brief moment in hushed Polish, making a few comments before they both turned back to Kennedy.

 

"Your offer of Scapa Flow to our needs works well for our interests, I believe that as long as our maritime engineers have the ability to work on the approaches to the base to make them harder to approach, we have an accord. As part of this base agreement, we would like to see the ability to also construct onshore port facilities, including a fairly sizeable drydock, as well as naval air station facilities. The Polish government is prepared to pay for these facilities, but we feel that the United Republic should have the ability to jointly use these facilities, which should help foster further cooperation," stated Anderswozski, sitting up straight in his chair.

 

"The Polish Land Forces and Air Force have expressed the desire to also base units abroad in Europe, how averse would you be to seeing a Polish Land Forces division plus a heavy support complement, along with a mixed wing of aircraft, stationed in your borders? These units would be available to be part of training purposes, as well as contribute to the defense of Ireland, should her sovereignty be threatened," he continued.

 

"What kind of areas of technological support are you looking for assistance in, if you mind me asking, Mr. Kennedy?" piped up Sikorski, after his chief military adviser was done speaking.

[lkfht]

"I believe that a drydock and naval air station facilities are in order, and agree that it can be jointly used by both our forces. If Poland wishes to have an army and air force base in our country they would have to contribute to the defense of Ireland and the number of personnel and equipment would have to be set at a limit for now. It is also in my opinion that a Mutual Defense and Optional Aggression Pact would be in order as well. Ireland would also like to be able to acquire the I-Class Landing Helicopter Dock once it is made available. We are also looking for a successor to the P-3 Orion and would like to work in collaboration with Poland on a new maritime aircraft. We would also like to establish a joint army/air force base in Poland."

[TheShammySocialist]

Sikorski and Anderswozski conferred again in Polish, speaking to Maczek a little bit in low tones, just so they were all on the same page before the Field Marshal turned back to Kennedy again. Sikorski sipped on a tumbler of whiskey that the Irish had gratefully provided to them, as his top officer spoke for them.

 

"What we propose for Poland's use is four smaller bases within the United Republic, each of them hosting a part of a division, basically a regiment with support units, that way we can provide equal coverage throughout the Isles. That way, a preemptive strike against Ireland would not level one main base, and it would be harder to eliminate smaller outposts that are spread out. We would also like to see our air force use two smaller bases in opposition to one larger facility, I hope you understand our reasoning for this. We would certainly be willing to host a United Republic battle group on our soil, what kind of size are you looking at right now?" asked Anderswozski.

 

Sikorski took over on the matters of military procurement, something he had become quite proficient at understanding during his tenure as President of Poland. "We will certainly be able to provide you with the I-Class Amphibious Warfare Vessel's designs, or a full procurement of the vessel itself. We would ask that if we procure the vessel for you, that you install sensor systems yourself, as our own sensor and countermeasure systems are built and specifically tailored for the Polish Navy's use, and are non-export at this time. On the topic of an advanced patrol aircraft, I'm sure that PZL Swidnik would be happy to assist Irish design teams in putting together a new maritime patrol aircraft."

[lkfht]

"I am open to four smaller bases for your army, where would you locate these installations? I am also willing to allow two smaller bases for your air force, where would you place these and what kind of aircraft would be stationed there? In terms of the I-Class Amphibious Warfare Vessel, we would have to take full procurement of the vessel itself due to our lack of facilities. We would also require a team of Polish technicians and engineers to work with ours in order to maintain these vessels. I would like to forward deploy a Marine Expeditionary Strike Group to Poland, which is about 2,000 Marines. I look forward to Ireland and Poland working together to create an advanced maritime patrol aircraft as well. Now how many Polish servicemen and women would be stationed in the United Republic?

[TheShammySocialist]

Sikorski took a sip from his tumbler of whiskey again before sitting back and clearing his throat and responding to Kennedy's first question, "Preferably, these bases would be evenly spread throughout the United Republic, one base here in Ireland, three bases across the Irish Sea in England. Probably one in Scotland, another in the Midlands, and another in the South, which will give us even coverage throughout the entirety of the isles. The two smaller bases for our air force would be located with one in Ireland, and one in Southern England, and between them, would host around five squadrons of combat aircraft, mostly interceptors, but some multirole fighters as well, along with some auxiliary transport, refueling and other useful aircraft."

 

"Essentially, you're looking at twelve thousand Polish combat soldiers from the Land Forces taking up residence in the British Isles, between those army bivouacs," piped up Anderswozski. "The standard Polish Land Forces division runs around twelve thousand combat soldiers when it is fully equipped. I'd say that the makeup of this unit would be at least seventy-five percent mechanized infantry, with one light infantry regiment serving in Scotland. Of course, the deployment of these units to the United Republic will boost joint cooperation, as well as serve to stimulate local economies. These units would buy their food and basic goods from local vendors, and give the surrounding areas some additional income. It costs us less to supply them from afar as it is."

 

"As for the deployment of a forward deployment of Irish marines to Poland, I see no problem with such a deployment, and you are welcome to revise that number should you want," responded Sikorski, sitting up a little bit. "I'm sure that one of our defense contractors would be delighted to assist in the maintenance of your vessels, although most of the maintenance should be able to be handled by your own shipyards, a little help by way of our contractors wouldn't hurt I suppose. We'll work out a procurement plan for you to acquire these vessels as soon as possible, they will probably be constructed in some of our distant shipyards away from the Gulf of Morbihan, the timetable for their construction will probably be set back somewhat due to our own ongoing procurement."

[lkfht]

"I am willing to allow the requested army and air force bases, in exchange I would like to forward deploy a Marine Expeditionary Brigade (10,000 Marines) to Poland. The United Republic has also just introduced the new National Peacekeeping Contingency Force, and so it would be beneficial in my opinion if our two peacekeeping forces conducted joint exercises to further bilateral cooperation. Now on the topic of a Mutual Defense and Optional Aggression Pact, do you have any suggestions?"

[TheShammySocialist]

Anderswozski nodded, "The numbers you have stated seem quite fair to my mind, and acceptable to me as well as our government. As for the drilling of peacekeeping forces, I'm sure that we could put together a joint cooperative exercise between the two units. The Polish Standing Contingency Task Force is not a fully military unit, but also involves civilians in its ranks, including police forces, medical staff, civil engineers, and other needed personnel. The military component of the Task Force is made up of a rotating infantry battalion battlegroup that is on standby at all times. As long as the whole task force is not involved in the drills, so that it doesn't effect the standby status of the unit, I'm sure we can put together joint exercises."

 

"As long as the Mutual Defense and Optional Aggression Pact contains the same economic, and intelligence facets offered in the original Polish-Irish agreement, we see no problem with just adding Mutual Defense and Optional Aggression clauses to the mix. Did you have anything specific in mind?" asked Sikorski.

[lkfht]

"Very good. In terms of the Mutual Defense and Optional Aggression Pact I suggest the following."

 

Mutual Defense and Optional Aggression Pact between Ireland and Poland

 

Preamble

The sovereign nations of the United Republic of Ireland and the Fourth Republic of Poland hereby agree to close bonds of friendship and to provide economic aid or military defense. Through the following stipulations, they wish to show their good intentions and wishes for better relations and cooperation in the future.

 

Article 1

Both signatory parties denounce the usage of aggressive force against the other party and agree to settle matters whenever possible through the means of peaceful negotiations and compromise.

 

Article 2

Both signatory parties agree to take measures to ease the visa application processes in order to facilitate increased cultural exchange and thus increase cultural understanding and friendship.

 

Article 3

Both signatory parties agree to cooperate in the scientific and technological fields, as well as make possible exchanges of data and personnel for common benefit.

 

Article 4

Both signatory parties may provide economic aid and/or humanitarian assistance in times of national emergency when deemed necessary by the concerned party.

 

Article 5

Both signatory parties agree not to commit espionage or acts of strategic/covert warfare on one another. Signatories agree to defend one another in the event that one comes under attack. This includes financial, political, and military assistance to the best of the signatories’ abilities.

 

Article 6

Should signatories choose to engage in offensive warfare invoking this treaty there is a strong presumption of agreement, though it remains voluntary, requests should be put in at the head of government and high ministerial levels for assistance, both parties keeping these requests confidential regardless of a positive or negative response.

 

Article 7

These designated representatives are required to maintain operational security once informed of the planned military action whether they agree to participate or not.

 

Article 8

This agreement holds indefinitely, but can be cancelled by any of the two signatory parties at any point of time, provided notice has been given to the other signatory party at least 1 year (1 RL month) in advance.

 

 

Signed,

 

On Behalf of the United Republic of Ireland,

 

On Behalf of the Fourth Republic of Poland

Edited March 24, 2014 by lkfht

[TheShammySocialist]

The Polish delegation looked over the document thoroughly, conversing in Polish and low tones as they reviewed the articles and terms set before them on the table. All of them seemed to hovering over one statement more than the others, and Sikorski finally looked up at Kennedy as the Polish delegation sat back in their chairs.

 

"I cannot, in good faith, sign an agreement that contains the Article 8, that your government has set forth on this document. Poland has strict laws regarding the export of military technology to other nations, but military technology export from Poland [I]must[/I] be done on a case-by-case basis, we cannot reduce those barriers wholesale. While the article does provide some blanket coverage of that, it does not provide enough that I can sign this document. I'd like to see that Article omitted from the treaty before I sign it," stated Sikorski, in a polite tone, whilst folding his arms.

[lkfht]

"I understand. It has been amended."

[TheShammySocialist]

"Thank you for your understanding," remarked Sikorski, in a cheery tone, as he produced a pen of his own to apply his signature to the document.

 

[b]On Behalf of the Fourth Republic of Poland[/b]

 

[i]Lech Sikorski[/i]

[b]President of the Fourth Republic[/b]

[lkfht]

On Behalf of the United Republic of Ireland

 

Grand Chancellor Leonardo Kennedy

 

"Now mister President, if you don't mind I would like to show you one of our most advanced naval facilities in the entire United Republic."

[TheShammySocialist]

"Please, Grand Chancellor, lead the way," Sikorski offered, after the Irish leader affixed his signature to the document.

[lkfht]

"Very well, please follow me." Grand Chancellor Leonardo Kennedy and Foreign Minister Kendal Mayers would enter an awaiting helicopter outside. After both the Irish and Polish delegations were seated the helicopter would take off and fly to Naval Base South Shields, home to the North Sea Fleet.

 

After arriving at the naval base, Kennedy and Mayers along with President Sikorski would be greeted by Captain Curt Jones, base commander. "Welcome your excellencies. This installation is the largest and most advanced navy base in the entire United Republic. It serves Ireland's need for border protection and North Sea security concerns. Our North Sea Fleet has just returned from regular patrols and so if you don't mind I would like to take you all on a short tour of several ships."

 

After reviewing and walking through a Delta-Class Cruiser and Guardian-Class Destroyer, the entourage would be escorted to the base headquarters for further discussions on Poland's military presence in the United Republic and further military ties.

 

Grand Chancellor Kennedy would begin saying, "Mister President, what does Poland exactly have in mind in terms of a naval presence in the British Isles? When will construction begin and what role will the Polish navy play in our military relationship?

 

Naval Base South Shields