Yerushalayim

Noooooooooooooooo! It's Alexandros, he's a good guy. At least it'll be a good fight. May you enjoy many casualties.

I couldn't send someone after Jutopia. Their name sounds too much like Jewtopia, and I'd feel all sad for it. :(

What the hell are you even talking about?

Are you actually upset that a front you weren't even on had the audacity to discuss what peace terms it wanted without consulting the opinion of IRON, who were oh so clearly pulling the entire war effort? Lol

AB's not exactly bursting at the seems with targets. It's cool, we'll fill up when their friends hop over.

Why would I be raging? Be honest, I'm not the one going around telling people they should have been lining up to kiss my hand for the fact that I didn't betray them last war. That's y'all. Sparta's got no reason to rage at this fight. It's not ideal, for sure, but that happens. Folks slip up, trust the wrong people, say the wrong things, don't move fast enough, etc. It's part of the politics. We'll eat the war and move on. And hopefully it'll be a fun fight.

Dude, I know you're eager to come at us, but it's been less than half an hour. Seriously, remove your head from your buttocks and shit talk us for something more clever. At least make it amusing. To AB and whoever comes in for them: Have fun. Lose nukes. Gain casualties. Let us glory in the dance of blood and pettiness that is a global war! :D Y'all know where to find us for the war time trash talk, banter, and drinking games.

Onward bold Pacificans, for without your bravery and mettle your allies may yet fall to the sandy menace!

"This is acceptable to Greece."

The Ambassador leaned over to glance at the news paper article, then shrugged. “We do what we must to protect our nations. Greece has been busy ensuring that our defenses are prepared in case of any conflict on our soil, as well. I see no reason for concern over this. It is not as though either of us has any designs on the other, or would take actions to threaten the other, eh?” She laughed and left the clipping on the table. She pulled the treaty text to her, glanced at it, and gave a short nod. “I'll need to pass this to my superiors, but I suspect it will be signed.”

“Of course Greece will provide any intelligence relating to threats against the Northlands as we learn of them. We find the idea of enhanced trade, and formal military relationship in the form of an optional defensive pact, to be perfectly acceptable, and I look forward to a lasting friendship between our peoples. You brought up a good point that our nations are far from each other, especially our mainland holdings. Perhaps our first joint effort should be a high speed transit network to bridge this gap? Such a network would allow Greece to provide support to the Northlands much faster, or the opposite, as needed. It would also encourage travel and tourism between our peoples, and such proximity and contact would be a pleasant furtherance of the friendship we begin here.”

Callista Lekas had been wary of her assignment to Stalingrad. She'd jockied for the position of ambassador to Malta, and had failed to achieve that post. Rather than simply rejecting her application, however, her superiors had given her a different assignment. Instead of working in the warm familiarity of the Mediterranean, she was instead in the frigid north of Europe. It wasn't all bad, though; she knew the objectives for Russia, and that this assignment could be her chance to shine. Her aids had already settled into the Greek embassy by the time her meeting with the Russian Foreign Commissar was at hand. She'd had them decorate it in a suitable style, but was reminded immediately of the reality of her situation when she left for her meeting. Though it was colder than she would have liked, she left behind the heavy coat and gloves, for which she was grateful; none of the Russians she passed on the streets were bundled up, and she would have been quite out place in her cold weather gear. At last she made her way through the streets to the place of her meeting, and found her way inside. She greeted the Russian security in their own language, and left her own men in a lobby, save for a single aid. She stepped into the meeting room and flashed a smile at the Commissar, “Hello. I am Callista Lekas, and this is my assistant.” She held out her hand to the man.

May 27, Year 1, Constantinople [Public] The government has announced that a contingent of military engineers, as well as a force of marines for their protection, has been deployed to the Suez Canal. The engineers are to ensure that the canal remains in working order, and that any damages resulting from the Great War have been repaired. As no government has been able to return to power in Egypt, Greece has taken it upon itself to ensure that the flow of trade to the Eastern Mediterranean remains uninterrupted. A destroyer group has been deployed to the Red Sea to oversee traffic through the canal, and ensure that there are no complications or accidents while the engineers work. [OOC] 3 destroyers and 4 frigates (2 Fridtjof and 2 Nansen) are deployed to the Red Sea.

“There is one more matter,” Nicodemus rumbled. “Your position within the Mediterranean, and the fact that you are not native to the region, marks you as a bit of target for others. We wouldn't want to see anything ill befall a new found friend. I believe it is in the interests of both our nations to come to an agreement regarding a mutual defense of one another. God forbid we ever need to call upon one another, but such an agreement along with an easing of trade will greatly encourage friendship between our peoples.”

This is actually amusing. Good job. :D

The Greek minister remained silent for a moment, considering the Maltese King's statements. After that moment stretched beyond comfort she spoke up, “It is tempting to say that our nation will focus on our own affairs, and leave the rest to the world at large. Tempting to focus on our own recovery and stability in a world that is still dreadfully wounded from the war. Tempting to roll over and go back to sleep, to pretend this is all a dream, and that when we wake up the world will be as it should, and none of the horror and death that we have faced will have been real. But burying our head in the sand won't prevent another war, it won't improve the world. Greece will sign the three proposed agreements.”

“Well, I'm certainly glad that Yugoslavia places such trust in us. Does this mean that you will agree to join with us in stabilizing the Eastern Mediterranean as part of the Eastern Mediterranean Community, or Union?”

Nicodemus let out a rough laugh that could easily have been mistaken for the growl of some predatory beast. “Our plans? Pretty simple. Greece's policy is for stability and prosperity. We don't want another war in the Med. Closing off shipping, like the Africans did in the Great War, hurt us all. Ships coming and going from Africa to Europe, fighting and missiles going back and forth, a complete mess. What we want is for there to be enough agreement between the powers that exist within the Sea to avoid fighting there if at all possible. In our studies of history, one of the best ways to prevent strife is to encourage mutually profitable trade. Nations that are dependent on one another for their economic well being are less likely to wage war on one another.” He shrugged and took a sip of water. “Northlands could be of help simply by agreeing with this philosophy, engaging in mutually profitable trade with other Mediterranean powers, and allowing the Greek navy to move freely within your waters, so that we can more easily act in the Western Mediterranean if ever the need should arise.”

“Alcatraz seems like an odd option,” George spoke up at last. “The California Republic is not exactly centrally located for the majority of us, or the majority of trade. Would it not make more sense to place the headquarters in a location central to the members of the organization, as well as to global trade routes?”

Nicodemus nodded along with the Northlander, his hair falling into his eyes now and again. “Unfortunately, the Monarchists burned most of their diplomatic papers. We're still piecing together where they were and what they were doing before the war.” He paused for a moment to consider the next question, then shrugged with a half smile, “The beer is good, the coffee a bit weak, and the women more than friendly. So far, I'd say the Noordenwind is mostly to our liking. A bit chilly, but pleasant all around.” He paused for a second time when the whiskey came, drank his, and set the cup aside. “Greece values stability and prosperity,” he growled out in answer to his counterpart's question, “And the Northlands possesses territory within our sphere of interest. To that end, it behooves us to establish friendly relations between our nations. Notably, we wish to ensure that Greek shipping free movement through the waters surrounding these islands, and that our ships may refuel if need be at whatever ports the islands boast. In return, of course, Greece would agree not to close our own waters or ports to your shipping.”

Aletea gave a short shrug. “Regional political organizations have a long history. They serve many purposes. Greece is not looking to unite the world, or even all of Europe. We are looking to establish a relationship with our immediate neighbour, with the possibility of expanding this relationship to other neighbours should they arise. It is neither our place, nor our desire, to form an umbrella organization to unite the disparate polities of the world.”

April 14, Year 1, Constantinople [Public] “The government has today established and implemented the Bosporus Trade Tax, a fee levied on international trade vessels passing between the Black and Mediterranean Seas. The tax is collected for the purposes of maintaining the canal and the trade facilities of Constantinople. Currently fees are being utilized in the rebuilding of facilities damaged during the revolution that toppled the Monarchy.”

Aletea cocked her head to one side and set her now empty coffee cup aside. “I'm afraid I don't see the sense in declaring the Black Sea to be a part of the Mediterranean. The Black Sea has a very different ecology, a different environment, and a different political reality. For example, the only other Black Sea nation at the moment is Russia, whom exists upon the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Barents Sea. Their political situation, and their position, is very different from that of Greece or Yugoslavia, or any of the other Eastern Mediterranean nations that might rise up.”

“The answer is simple; Greece views itself as a Mediterranean nation, first and foremost. Our security concerns are likely to arise in two locations: The Black Sea, and the Mediterranean. It's more likely that new nations will arise along these areas, where access to the seas provides access to trade, than that new inland nations will rise up in the Balkans. Quite simply, the Mediterranean covers our bases far more adequately than the Balkans would.”

“While Greece is open to such an organization, we are primarily keen on establishing regional ties at the moment. We are already on friendly terms with Yugoslavia, and so have no concerns with offering such an agreement to you. We do not, however, have such relationships with all of the Mediterranean, and it take time for Greece to get to know the nations within this larger sphere. It is for this reason that we have taken the more narrowly focused approach, of first securing our immediate area. I trust that you can understand this reasoning, given your own troubles with a volatile regional neighbourhood in the past.”