Equal trade at its finest

[Amyante]

As her plane touched down at the airport of Jubilife, [url=http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/8223/14ea6c1aed927ddd76fc274.jpg]Morinagare Natsumi[/url] was going through some last minute data. It had been a while since she had last visited the American continent, and this would mark the first time she would do so as an employee of Singacorp. In Disparu, she would be awaited by the Zargathian diplomat there, Ning Chen, after which the two would head to the representative of the Disparuean government to discuss trade. She felt a little nervous, though she would just blame it on the aftereffects of turbulence caused by the storm she had to fly across.

As soon as she left the Gate, her eyes searched for a sign with her name on it, nervousness already being replaced by an eagerness to get a few good deals signed today.

[Pikachurin]

(OOC: I'm assuming Zargathia uses something identical to the Chinese/Japanese naming system. Correct me if I'm wrong.)

Morinagare would be met at the gate by the Lilian Meridian, Foreign Minister, and Aaron Yvonne, Finance Minister, and several officers from the Judicial Police, rather than a sign with her name on it.

"You must be Miss Morinagare, I assume?" inquired Lilian, smiling. This question was completely rhetorical, as she knew Morinagare's identity after skimming through a quick profile about their guest. The Zargathian ambassador's presence in the airport further confirmed that. "Welcome to the Disparuean Federation. I believe we have much to discuss about our two nations."

Afterwards, Morinagare would be quickly whisked through customs and, after claiming any luggage she had checked-in, would be escorted into a prestigious limousine outside the airport.

[Amyante]

OOC: Officially it's both. The fields for name and surname are aligned vertically on Zargathian official documents, so it's mostly up to the individual on how they prefer to introduce themselves. In this case you'd be right, though initial mistakes are common enough to be generally accepted anyway

IC:

Natsumi walked over to the small group of people waiting for her. She could recognize the Zargathian diplomat and the two Disparuean ministers from her own research, and though she did not recognize any of the others she assumed them to be part of a security detail escorting the VIPs. She bowed in greeting before extending her hand,

- "That i am, ministers. I am honored to be a part of the negotiations."

She looked around the airport, habitually taking in as much as she could about the manner and appearance of the people. A strand of Hanseatic blood had ended up with her being six foot three, allowing her to see over most people. A busy airport hinted at a healthy economy, which always were good conditions for a company to potentially open up a branch here. She also compared the way people were dressed to how the group that was welcoming her was. Though it only took a few seconds before she focused her attention back on the ministers with a warm smile, she would be trying to learn as much as she could about the Disparuean culture and lifestyle before the actual negotiations would begin. Some things could simply not be learned from travel booklets.

[Pikachurin]

As their limousine passed through Jubilife's busy streets, Natsumi would notice that Disparuean society was not unlike your average Western society; though admittedly, it had more French elements in it due to the nation's cultural links to France. During their limousine ride, the two Ministers tried to make small talk with Natsumi to break the ice; after all, they had an entire meeting ahead of them, and it would be better to conduct it if everyone was friendly with each other.

Soon, the limousine stopped in front of a massive spherical glass building. It was the atrium of the Centre of Foreign Affairs.

[center][img]http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091215031635/cybernations/images/thumb/8/88/CentreforForeignAffairsEntrance.jpg/400px-CentreforForeignAffairsEntrance.jpg[/img][/center]

Natsumi was led out of the limousine and was escorted by the two Ministers into the magnificent building. After passing through several security checks, she soon found herself inside a comfortable meeting room. It boasted a long mahogany desk surrounded by leather chairs. Around the cream-coloured walls were paintings by various Disparuean artists; at the room's far end hung the portrait of the Federation's Monarch, Lance. The flags of Disparu, its provinces, and Jubilife flanked the portrait.

After being offered a drink of her choice, the two Ministers sat opposite from Natsumi.

"So, Miss Morinagare, what brings you to the Federation?" inquired Lilian, smiling.

[Amyante]

Natsumi sounded almost eager to make small talk, likely for much the same reasons as the Disparueans. In the meantime, occasional glances outside told her that the country was decisively Western, though the links with France were lost as she had never visited Europe. It was something she had been trying to set straight, but a busy schedule and a high rank at work kept her from taking up enough vacation time to actually go ahead with it. When she saw her destination it was easy to tell that she was quite taken by the design, and she vigorously stomped down thoughts of cost efficiency as she admired the usage of glass. Unless she missed her guess, the view from there would be quite good.

Once past the security checks, she ran her fingers over the mahogany desk before taking some documents out of her briefcase and handing them out to the delegates present. In teh meantime she told them a little about the company she worked for, such information wouldn't be in the files she was handing out, but it was good to know whom they would be dealing with anyway.

- "As you are aware, i work for a company called Singacorp. In the past we used to briefly rule the city-state of Singapore, but the main conglomerate eventually had to fold. My corporation, whose headquarters were in Zargathia, was then bought up by Zargathia, and we ended up getting a pier assigned to us in Singapore when the port had been reopened. Now, we seek to expand our trading activities again, with the possibility of opening a branch in Disparu if business goes well."

After she was finished handing out copies of the files she sat down opposite of the ministers. After brushing some of her hair over her shoulder, she smiled, folding her hands together on the desk. The files were likely to make more sense to the Finance minister than to the Foreign Affairs minister (unless the latter had an economic background as well, of course) but the document was set up in such a way that it avoided most of the technicalities. It was a proposed draft after all.

- "Now, at first sight there is a lot of overlap between Disparu and Zargathia, with both nations releasing the same types of finished products. In terms of resources however, Zargathia exports a number of materials imported by Disparuean companies such as RADware and Fuego Steelworks used in the creation of their products. It is here that we see a window of opportunity to create a profitable trade route."

She paused, looking at the two ministers to see if they had any questions for her. The look on her face showed her as being eager to talk business, though she did sometimes get a little carried away. Still, with the introductory speech over with they would be free to turn the pace down to a more comfortable level if needed, given that the files she had handed out backed up her words nicely.

[Pikachurin]

(OOC: Sorry for the late reply, I was busy in RL. )

"Such a relationship will certainly be mutually symbiotic for our nations, Miss Morinagare." said Aaron as she read the file given to her by Natsumi. "As you've mentioned, many Disparuean companies, such as the Fuego Steelworks, import several resources that are not native to Disparu. Normally, this came from our former major trading partner, J Andres, but due to its collapse, our companies have been cut off from their supplies, and thus have been forced to take drastic measures. This, in turn, caused our economy to plummet." Aaron paused for a bit as he skimmed through the file again. "Of course, this is slowly being remedied as we increase our trade with other nations, such as Ursalia. However, more trade with nations such as Zargathia will certainly be welcome to the Government."

"Therefore, Singacorp will also be more than welcome to establish branches here in the Federation. Keep in mind, though, that you will be following different labour laws unless you meet certain requirements." continued Aaron. "It's rather complicated, so I can't explain it in much detail. I can give you copies of those laws if you want, though."

[Amyante]

OOC: No probs, RL happens to all of us ^^

IC:

Natsumi smiled, nodding in agreement to what the Ministers were saying.

- "Understandable, as an internationally operating trading company we are used to working under variable laws depending on the nation we are in. We [i]would[/i] however be needing a copy of those laws so that our legal experts may take a look at them and figure out what we can and cannot do while in Disparuean territory."

It was her turn to pause now, mulling over a question she had been meaning to ask.

- "Aside from the more obvious trade routes, there is another thing that had caught my notice. Disparu has achieved quite a reputation for its... [i]ice wine[/i], or so i heard? Honesty forces me to admit i have never heard of it myself."

[Pikachurin]

"That is good to know." said Aaron, somewhat relieved. "Copies of the specific laws in question will be sent to Singacorp's headquarters as soon as possible; alternatively, I can go find copies for you as soon as we adjourn."

The two Ministers were first baffled by Natsumi's question, but then suddenly remembered what she was referring to. "Oh, [i]Bon Vin[/i]. I remember now." said Lilian as she rose and approached a nearby wine rack. Despite the Government's Prohibition-esque restrictions on alcohol; it was still unable to destroy an integral part of both Quebecois and Disparuean culture: wine. As a result, wine of all colours and tastes were still available to the general public, and the Government was extremely lenient about it. In fact, the highest amount of arrests and charges against alcohol-related crimes would be drunk driving, rather than the 'illegal' (not that it was banned, its possession was merely extremely restricted) possession of alcohol. Lilian returned with three wine glasses and a bottle labeled with:

[quote][center][img]http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090829042627/cybernations/images/thumb/3/3e/BonVinLogo.png/250px-BonVinLogo.png[/img]

[i][font="Book Antiqua"][size="4"]Vin de glace | Ice wine[/size][/font][/i]

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/Ice_wine_grapes.jpg/200px-Ice_wine_grapes.jpg[/img]
[/center][/quote]

"Well, we aren't exactly well known for ice wine alone," explained Lilian as she poured wine unto the three glasses, "but yes, ice wine is indeed one of our more popular wines. You see, our northern location enables us to grow grapes needed for this. It is extremely expensive though, considering the process used is extremely risky and only produces a small amount of wine, so essentially it isn't a 'populist' product," she continued as she took a sip from her glass. "However, the Federation's main producer of wine, Bon Vin, makes a lot of other wines too, and all of them are good. Perhaps, if Zargathia would allow it, Bon Vin can export some of its bottles to Zargathia. That way, the people of Zargathia will also be able to enjoy Quebec's finest wines."

[Amyante]

Natsumi took a sip from her wine before giving an approving nod.

- "I was wondering the same thing myself. We know some about the process, but lack a suitable location, the areas that are cold enough often being unsuited for ice grapes to grow there. We do have rice wine though, which we could import in turn?"

As she suggested it, her mind was already working. If the bottles would be sold to [i]Bon Vin[/i], it would circumvent a plethora of laws associated with marketing a label here, and unlike them [i]Bon Vin[/i] already had extensive knowledge of the way the Disparuean market worked. They would just focus on transportation, local marketing was a whole new specialization in itself and would be of later concern, once they had gained more of a name for themselves in Disparu.

[Pikachurin]

"That would certainly be acceptable," said Aaron, smiling. "Now, Miss Morinagare, do you have any other questions? If not, we can sign some sort of contract to seal the deal."

[Amyante]

Natsumi adjusted her glasses, and flipped her copy of the documents to the next page.

- "Indeed i do. Though state owned, Singacorp is ultimately a business corporation, and i was wondering about the possibility of acquiring a governmental contract of some kind to supply Disparu with a certain amount raw materials it previously obtained from J Andres. Something to keep the investment profitable while awaiting market response for both wines in three nations, including Singapore."

OOC: Also, found this while checking info: [url=http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=8&sqi=2&ved=0CE8QFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dovepress.com%2Fgetfile.php%3FfileID%3D4176&rct=j&q=grapes%20ice%20wine%20china%20heilongjiang&ei=91b6TPerDoiBOoaQ2NQK&usg=AFQjCNEPrAsnpD2njAKdN7aLqfxo1myzpA&cad=rja]PDF file[/url]. Good to know they were having the same idea irl, eh?

Edited December 4, 2010 by Amyante

[Pikachurin]

"Then I suppose we're all set, then," said Aaron as he approached a book shelf on one corner of the office. He extracted a legal-sized document from it that contained many pages. He carefully set it out on the table and began to go over it with Natsumi. The contract, a generic one for foreign companies such as Singacorp, essentially allowed the company to begin all of its desired operations in Disparu."You and I will still have to talk to Bon Vin about setting up operations in Zargathia, though; they're not a state-owned company, sadly enough," explained Aaron. "We can contact them immediately, though: we can have a video conference or something."

[Amyante]

As Natsumi read through the documents, she simply shrugged in response to Aaron's comment.

N - "Singacorp started out by owning a state, and now a state owns us. [i]Bon Vin[/i] is not, and who knows where they would end up ten years from now? Or even five? Times change, but to each their own."

She finished reading the document, and gently put it down on the desk. It seemed to cover everything Singacorp would need to start trading, which left only the partnership with [i]Bon Vin[/i] to explore.

N - "I would not be opposed to a video conference, my next step after concluding matters here would have been to contact them and set up an appointment actually."

After having remained quiet during the negotiations, Chen spoke up, having noticed that the negotiations were close to being concluded.

C - "If the Disparuean government is interested, we could sign a fairly standard Non Aggression Pact with a clause to facilitate trade. Given the location of our respective nations i doubt it would ever become challenged, and it would help the trade start up by adding a layer of security as well."

[Pikachurin]

Noting that the contract appeared acceptable to Natsumi, Aaron proceeded to sign the necessary fields before asking her to do the same, politely of course. Once this was done, Aaron said, "A video conference can be quickly arranged. Give me a sec." He turned to his briefcase and fished out an elegant laptop. He opened its lid and navigated through its operating system, finally ending up in front of a video-calling program not unlike Skype. He typed a few numbers and passwords, and soon, he had a direct link with Bon Vin's own CEO, Antoine Brunault. Brunault was generally friendly to both Aaron and Natsumi, and agreed to Natsumi's previous proposals.

Lilian Meridian, who had been sitting quietly for most of their meeting, turned to the Zargathian ambassador. "Such a treaty can be easily arranged, Mr. Chen. However, I would like to know about Zargathia's stances in Asian, North American, and international politics. For example, who are your allies? Who do consider as enemies? My apologies for being ignorant of such things, though, sir, so I would be grateful if you could enlighten me . I can also talk about Disparu's geopolitical views, if you wish." she said, politely.

[Amyante]

Chen nodded, taking a few documents out of her own briefcase in response.

- "Zargathia, due to its central location, relies on trade for most of its income. As such, we feel it is in our best interests to remain on friendly terms with the nations it is and potentially can trade with. Until recently our sphere had been limited to Asia, though with the acquisition of Singacorp and establishing a pier at Singapore, we hope to expand our operation to other continents. Currently, we have direct or indirect defense pacts with... *ahem* Japan, the United Federation of the East, Cochin, Rebel Army and the Xinyan Republic. In addition, we have a variety of non-aggression pacts with Selenarctos, Vauleyo-Buryatia, the Greater Korean Federation, Germany, Greater Pacifica and Australia, and it is to this list we hope to add Disparu as well. In terms of enemies, we have none, though there are currently some lengthy tensions between us and the Greater Korean Federation. The same could have been said of Greater Mongolia, but that nation has descended into Anarchy and control of it has been rescinded to Cochin again."

Taking a sip from a nearby glass of water, she folded her hands, looking at the Disparuean ministers.

- "I believe it would now be your turn, miss Meridian... Could you tell me of the Disparuean views? It has regrettably been a long time since our last meeting, and as such my information might be outdated."

[Pikachurin]

Lilian thought for a moment, and then began, "Well, Mr. Chen, Disparu has not changed much since we have last met. Aside from one of our provinces, Labrador, seceding from the Federation, and another one, the Gaspésie, joining us, and our Chancellor being assassinated by a terrorist group, we have not changed internally. As for foreign affairs, I must admit that the fall of the third Maritime Republic has allowed us to pursue...more relations and the like throughout North America. As of this moment, we have a non-aggression pact with Arctica, Ursalia, Gardenia, and Idaho-Montana; we also have some economic relations with the last three nations, and a mutual defence pact with Gardenia. Perhaps the only nation that we consider as an enemy is the 'Democratic' Empire of Labrador, which we have ceased to recognize quite some time ago. We have launched military expeditions, for the sake of peace of course, to the Hudson Reich and the rest of Ontario, and we currently maintain protectorates in both Ontario and Greater Acadia. Otherwise, we are pretty neutral to other nations."

[Amyante]

Chen nodded to herself, making a few notes as Lilian spoke. It mostly matched the records she had had, though she had underlined some words to remind herself to look into them later. She then folded her hands before replying.

- "Excellent, the information i had would still be up to date then. Would you have any more questions for me?"

In the meantime, Natsumi leaned back, looking rather pleased at hearing there was no threat of war, or at least a lack of nations hostile to Disparu: Such would frighten off potential investors, of course.

[Pikachurin]

(OOC: Sorry for referring to Chen as a man in my previous posts. )

"Nope, you've given me anything I need," said Lilian, smiling. "Everything seems to be in order then, Miss Chen. Shall we draft and sign a treaty now?"

[Amyante]

OOC: No probs. We'll just write it off as gender ambiguity or something

IC:

"I would be looking forward to it.... Would you happen to have a draft ready, by any chance?"

[Pikachurin]

"Of course I do. Excuse me for a moment," said Lilian as she rose and approached the book shelf in the corner, extracting an elegant scroll tied with a blue ribbon. She unrolled it, made a few changes, and presented the document to Chen.

[quote][center][size="4"][font="Book Antiqua"][i]A treaty of friendship between the[/i]
Federation of Disparu
[i]and the[/i]
Queendom of Zargathia[/size][/font][/center]

[font="Book Antiqua"][size="3"][center][b]Article I - Sovereignty[/b][/center]

The Federation of Disparu (henceforth referred to as "Disparu") and the Queendom of Zargathia (henceforth referred to as "Zargathia") hereby agrees to recognize and respect the sovereignty of each other, and shall not commit or support actions that hinders the other signatory's sovereignty.

[center][b]Article II - Non-Aggression[/b][/center]

To promote the spirit of Article I of this treaty, both Disparu and Zargathia shall refrain from committing or supporting acts of war against each other, and the allies of both signatories.

[center][b]Article III - Promoting Trade[/b][/center]

Both signatories shall agree to lower or eliminate tarrifs on imports and exports from or to the other signatory in order to encourage trade.

[center][b]Article IV - Cancellation[/b][/center]

Should, for any reason, a signatory deems it necessary to cancel this treaty, the signatory shall give a ninety-six (96) hour notice to the other signatory. The treaty shall remain in effect during that time period. If one or more articles in this treaty is broken, Article IV shall immediately be activated and the waiting period will be cut to forty-eight (48) hours.

[center][b]Signatures[/b][/center]

Signed for the [b]Federation of Disparu[/b],

Signed for the [b]Queendom of Zargathia[/b],

[center]~***~[/center][/size][/font]
[/quote]

[Amyante]

Chen read through the document and, satisfied with what she had read, took out a pen to sign the treaty.

Signed for the Queendom of Zargathia,

(scribble)

Ning Chen
Diplomatic envoy to Disparu
Acting in the name of the Zargathian Crown

[Pikachurin]

Lilian took out her own pen and signed the treaty below Chen.

[quote]
[i]/s/[/i]
Lilian Meridian
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Federation of Disparu
Member, Empire Party of Disparu
Signing on behalf of His Royal Majesty, the Government, and the People
[/quote]

"Now that we've discussed everything that we need to discuss..." said Lilian, lifting her gaze from the document. "Do you wish to discuss anything else before we adjourn?"

[Amyante]

Chen took a deep breath, looking at Natsumi and the Disparuean delegation in turn.

- "Let's see... Non-Aggression Pact, trade agreement... No, i think that's everything. Whatever else there is to discuss would be between Singacorp and Bon Vin on a corporate level, so unless you had anything else you'd wish to discuss?"

[Pikachurin]

"No, I believe we've covered everything," said Lilian, smiling. "Thank you for coming here today, Miss Chen and Miss Morinagare, we were quite glad to have this meeting." Both Lilian and Aaron shook Ning's and Natsumi's hands. "Now, if you can follow us...?"

Lilian and Aaron would lead the two Zargathians out of the Centre for Foreign Affairs; two limousines would be waiting for them outside. One would take Ning back to the Zargathian embassy in Jubilife's Diplomatic Quarters, while the other would take the three officials back to Darach International Airport, where the two Disparueans would see Natsumi off on her flight. On the way, the two would've also been glad to show her around the city, if she wished to do so.

[Amyante]

Natsumi would be taking the two officials up on their offer to show her around the city, though not before a long-distance call stating the details of what had been discussed. The line was secure, of course, and though such connections were not available to everyone it was one of the benefits that came with being a state-owned corporation. Such would only become apparent in case anyone would be trying to listen in, which she assumed there wouldn't be. Like with most matters concerning large amounts of money, it was better to be safe than sorry.