Imperator Azenquor

“We would welcome the opportunity to sign a non-aggression pact. Since a defense pact would depend on a convergence of common goals, perhaps we can discuss our individual nations’ goals regarding foreign policy. In the case of Zapadnaya, our primary hope is to support a stable and peaceful Europe through diplomacy where possible and military intervention only where and when absolutely necessary. We note however that there will always be regimes, such as the SOCSOV Hawaiians for example, who cannot be engaged constructively through diplomatic channels or regimes which pose a clear, direct and imminent danger to regional or international stability. If you don’t mind my asking, what are Alvonia’s primary goals in the foreign policy sphere? That is truly enlightening. Given the situation, we understand the decision of your government to withdraw from the European Community. I’ll admit, the Zapadnayan government is in the process of discussing whether or not to join the European Community. However, given the organization’s response to certain events coupled with the reasons expressed regarding why your government decided to leave the organization, it is almost certain that we will decide against doing so.”-PM Grigorova

[b][u]***Classified/Closed Session of Parliament***[/b][/u] “Pursuant to Presidential decree number five, the Zapadnayan Parliament is hereby convened in closed emergency session. Members are reminded that no electronic devices are allowed within the chamber and that any individual who does not hold sufficient security classification may not be within 500 feet of the building where the emergency session is being held.”-Speaker “Her Excellency the President of the Republic, responding to the events unfolding in neighboring Greece, called for this emergency session in order to formulate a response to those events. In my capacity as Prime Minister, may I reassure the Parliament that the National Security Council is closely monitoring developments across the border and will do it’s utmost to keep the Parliament duly informed of any developments. Accordingly, I am informing the Parliament that the Kingdom of Yugoslavia has deployed military forces to the former Greek territories and has attempted to declare a Yugoslav protectorate over the area. After consultations, and given the prospect of a conflict occurring on our borders should the Yugoslav forces fail to withdraw, I request the support of Parliament on the following resolution.”-Prime Minister Grigorova === Status: Approved Votes: 499 Yea, 0 Nay, 1 Abstention

“I understand. Thank you for the clarification. While we still have some reservations over the establishment of a Euro Comm protectorate in the European territories of the former Greek state, we acknowledge that it appears to be the best solution at this point in time. Regarding bilateral military ties, perhaps we may lay the foundations upon which a future military and economic partnership may be built. Would the Babylonian Empire object to signing an Optional Defense Pact with Zapadnaya provided that this pact would include a clause allowing the document to be reviewed after a period of time and allowing it to be upgraded or downgraded after that review period? According to a preliminary report, it appears that the Kingdom of Portugal has a group of ships in the Black Sea. At this time we have heard no public statement as to why such a deployment has taken place and if said deployment is under the aegis of the European Community or the Kingdom of Portugal itself. We believe that the arrival of these vessels may have taken place around the time of the Ukraine debacle, but we do not understand why they have yet to be withdrawn. Under normal circumstances we would raise the issue directly with the European Community, however we have had no diplomatic contact with European Community member nations until now. (OOC: [url="http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?/topic/122163-kingdom-of-portugal/?p=3265091"]Naval Factbook deployment[/url] [url="http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?/topic/122163-kingdom-of-portugal/?p=3271741"]Post ordering the ships to the Black Sea[/url] ) I thank you for your frank expression of the realities of the European Community as an organization. The points you have raised in that regard and your recommendation will undoubtedly have an impact on the nature of the debate within the Zapadnayan government regarding the European Community.-FM Petrova

"Excellent. I'll add my signature to the finalized draft of the treaty. Once both of our signatures are affixed, the treaty will enter into force. Are there any other issues that your Excellency wishes to discuss?"-President Bogomolov [b]Signed for the Zapadnayan Republic[/b] V. Bogomolov, President

***Public Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zapadnaya*** The government of Zapadnaya expresses alarm at reports suggesting that Yugoslav forces have entered the former Greek territories in Europe and have sought to declare a Yugoslav protectorate over the area. While under normal circumstances we would welcome the declaration of a protectorate over the aforementioned territory by a regional nation, we express our concern that the Yugoslav efforts appear to have been undertaken without consultations with any of the neighboring parties. At this time, given the recent announcement of the intention of the European Community to establish a protectorate over the European territories of the former Greek state, we express our reservations particularly as the Greek state was not a member of the European Community at the time of its collapse. In light of the unique situation presented by the collapse of the Greek state and the apparent failure of the European Community to officially declare the area a protectorate prior to this incident occurring, we urge the government of Yugoslavia to halt any further military activity in the European territories of the former Greek state. Likewise we urge the members of the European Community to enter into meaningful dialogue regarding the situation.

***Private Message to the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Guanwai*** The government of Zapadnaya hereby requests information regarding the whereabouts of one of our citizens: Mr. Stefan Nikolov [Passport #] who travelled to Guanwai in order to attend a meeting of the ‘Communist International’ on [Date]. Pursuant to documentation filed prior to his departure from Zapadnaya, he was scheduled to return to the country yesterday. As he has not done so, we hereby request the assistance of the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Guanwai in locating Mr. Nikolov. A prompt reply would be greatly appreciated. == ***Public Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs*** It has come to our attention that a citizen of Zapadnaya who had traveled to the Democratic People’s Republic of Guanwai in order to attend a political conference referred to in documentation as ‘The Communist International’ is currently missing. The Zapadnayan government, referring to the aforementioned individual’s passport and exit visa applications, has confirmed that he boarded a flight to the Democratic People’s Republic of Guanwai. It has now been 24 hours beyond the date of return submitted on the individual’s exit visa application and, after attempts to contact the individual failed, we have declared him missing and have launched an investigation. Any individual with any information about Mr. Stefan Nikolov's is asked to contact the nearest Zapadnayan Embassy or the Zapadnayan Foreign Ministry at [Phone Number] or ForMin@zapad.gov.zd. Individuals who attended the meeting of the Communist International in Guanwai are also asked to contact Zapadnaya if they have any information about Mr. Nikolov's whereabouts.

[b]OOC:[/b] Sure. [b]IC:[/b] [i]“Your Excellency, thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Firstly, may I convey on behalf of the Zapadnayan government, our sincere support of the Babylonian Empire’s decision to confront the former Ukrainian regime. We also commend the decision of the Babylonian Empire to prevent the formation of a security vacuum in Europe as a result of the collapse of the Greek state. In my capacity as Zapadnayan Foreign Minister, I have been tasked to open a dialogue with the Babylonian government on three main areas. The first, is to explore the possibility of establishing formal diplomatic ties between our two nations and to explore potential areas where agreements can be made to increase trade. The second area, is regarding non-aggression and exploring areas of possible security cooperation. The third area is regarding the European Community. While from our perspective, the European Community has achieved a number of admirable goals, we find some actions by members of the aforementioned community to be of concern. For example, the presence of a military naval unit of a European Community member (who is not a Black Sea nation) in the Black Sea for a prolonged period of time is concerning. We also express the sincere hope that the European Community will not seek to use the situation surrounding the collapse of the Greek state as a precedent with which to act when governments in non-European Community nations collapse. These concerns are weighing heavily in the minds of the members of our government as we attempt to determine whether or not to apply for membership in the organization. As a member of the European Community as well as a fellow Black Sea nation, we would welcome the views of the Babylonian Empire on these issues.”[/i]-FM Petrova

[i]“Thank you for such a warm welcome. Your Excellency, thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice. I requested this meeting in order to begin a dialogue between Alvonia and Zapadnaya on trade, economic and regional matters. Firstly, it is the hope of the Zapadnayan government to establish formal diplomatic ties with Alvonia as the foundation for future bilateral dialogue. Secondly, we wish to explore the prospect of negotiating a Non-Aggression Pact between our two nations and exploring avenues to increase trade. With Alvonian approval, we would also like to discuss the prospect of a future defense pact between our nations should our policies in that sphere be sufficiently aligned. Thirdly, we are concerned about regional stability on the European continent particularly given the European Community’s seeming reluctance to confront certain issues. Admittedly our perspective on the European Community is limited to what we have observed from ‘our side of the pond’ so to speak. As a nation which was once a member of the European Community we would like to hear Alvonia’s position on the European Community and the ability of that organization to promote stability in Europe.”[/i]-PM Grigorova

After acknowledging the Alvonian reply and thanking the Alvonian Head of Government, the Zapadnayan government would accept the offer to meet in Vienna. Once the necessary preparations, confirmations and arrangements were made, the Prime Minister would arrive in Vienna for the meeting.

The following message would be transmitted to the Babylonian Empire:

The Internet Content Regulation Act (2014) has been approved by the Parliament and has been sent to the Senate for debate.

[b][u]SNN – Islamist group al-Kebab announces formation[/b][/u] [i]“In a somewhat strange development, a statement was released to all media this morning announcing the formation of an Islamist group called ‘al-Kebab’. The announcement, which contained several references to Islam, stated that the group is ‘non-violent’ and is dedicated to addressing the ‘discrimination against Islam in Zapadnaya’. The group described itself as being ‘Islamist’ but accepting of the realities of society. The organization also claims that it will strive to be the voice of the ‘unrepresented 300,000 Muslims’ in Zapadnaya. The group has harshly criticized a government proposal to ban the wearing of the hijab in public buildings. The group also announced that it’s leader is Aziza Nour Sa’ida Hania Hafsa al-Rashid. According to reports Mrs. Rashid is said to be a 32 year old University graduate from the province of Targovishte in the northeast of Zapadnaya. Mrs. Rashid previously helped to organize a series of interfaith dialogues in the province. It is unclear at this time why she decided to form this organization or how many members of the organization are in Zapadnaya. When asked to comment on the issue, Interior Minister Dragomir Dimitrov stated that ‘the formation of an organization without obtaining the appropriate approvals and registration is illegal’ and that since the group al-Kebab had not filed any documentation to be registered as an organization that the group and membership in the group by any Zapadnayan citizen ‘is a criminal offense’. When asked about the content of the announcement itself, Mr. Dimitrov rejected claims of discrimination against Muslims as being ‘unfounded and deliberately divisive in nature’."[/i]

[b][u]ZCNA – Parliament debates internet content regulation and headscarf ban[/b][/u] [i]“The Parliament has held an initial debate on two proposed laws. The first, the Internet Content Regulation Act, is aimed at confronting the issue of hate-speech and discriminatory content being disseminated via the internet and at preventing the use of the internet as a tool to incite criminal actions. In her presentation to parliament in support of the bill, Justice Minister Ms. Selena Staneva (JDP) stated that while the internet provides unfettered access to content and information, we must exercise some caution in allowing inflammatory content or content aimed to incite criminal activity or disorder from being left ‘un-combatted’. To address this, the government announced it’s intention to create an Internet Regulation Bureau (IRB) as a non-partisan entity that will work with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to identify and block offending content. According to the Justice Minister, the IRB will operate under a charter that expands on the provisions of the Internet Content Regulation Act and ensures that the power of censorship is only used when it is absolutely needed. She also sought to assure the members of the Parliament that the IRB will be answerable de jure to the Ministry of Interior and de facto to the Parliament. The IRB, she said, will be required to record each censorship request, the decision taken and the reasons for that decision and will be required to present this information to any Member of Parliament upon request. The second bill currently before the Parliament for debate is the Headscarf Ban Act. This act, according to the Justice Minister, will seek to uphold the secular nature of the state by prohibiting the wearing of religious headcoverings in public buildings, hospitals and educational institutions across the country. Employees in the public sector are also expected to comply with the proposed ban.”[/i]

[b][u]SNN – Gov’t moves to censor internet and ban hijab[/b][/u] [i]“The government of Prime Minister Grigorova has launched a shockingly wide ranging assault on the rights of citizens to express themselves both in their choices of clothing and in their ability to express dissent on the internet. These two proposed laws, now before the parliament for debate, may mark the start of a sustained effort to undermine the rights of Zapadnayan citizens. As predicted, the government has claimed to be upholding the secular nature of the state while launching this campaign. In Parliament, the Justice Minister Ms. Selena Staneva (JDP) supported both acts which were introduced by her coalition colleagues in the European Future Party (EFP). She spoke at length about the need to uphold secularism and the importance of the separation of religion and politics. When questioned about the timing of the two bills, the Justice Minister sought to play down suggestions that an attack on liberties was underway by claiming that the bills were simply ‘clarifying certain issues’ which were not clear in the coup-imposed constitution. The first of the two bills, the Internet Content Regulation Act, seeks to grant a government agency the right to censor information on the internet if it is deemed to be ‘harmful to social harmony’. The act’s provisions are so vague in their definitions of social harmony that the so-called Internet Regulation Bureau (IRB) will have wide ranging authority to identify offending content and order it to be censored with little or no oversight. In fact, the act is so vague that a concerned citizen who posts information about government corruption on the internet could find him or herself afoul of the new law if the government appointed agency rules that exposing government corruption would undermine social ‘harmony’. The second bill, the Headscarf Ban Act, will officially prohibit the wearing of religious headcoverings in several places. Under the proposed law, it will be a minor criminal offense to wear a headcovering in any public building, state office, healthcare facility, or school. The act will also permit the government to take disciplinary action against any state worker who runs afoul of the ban. The proposed law is nothing less than an attack on religious liberty and a callous attempt by the Zapadnayan government to push religious conservatives out of several institutions of state. Under the new law a Muslim citizen who wears the hijab will be required to remove her headscarf in order to enter any school. If she, conscious of her religious rights, refuses to remove it, she can be expelled from her school for doing so. The military dictatorship may have given way to an elected government, but it seems the attacks on the rights of citizens will continue unabated.”[/i]

Proposal to ban religious headcoverings (The Headscarf Ban Act) In the interest of upholding the secular constitutional nature of the state at all levels while recognizing and respecting the rights of citizens, we hereby propose to ban the wearing of religious headcoverings as follows: -Religious headscarves may not be worn by any individual employed to any municipal, national or state institution at any time. -Recognizing that educational institutions are also state institutions, religious headscarves may not be worn at such institutions either by those employed at the institution or students at the institution. -Religious headscarves may not be worn by any individual inside of any public building regardless of if the individual is or is not an employee at the aforementioned public building. -Religious headscarves may not be worn during the taking of photographs for any official document and must, upon request of a relevant official seeking to ascertain the identity of an individual, be removed. -Religious headscarves may not be worn by any individual while they are in a hospital or medical facility regardless of whether or not they are employed by that facility. -In the interest of upholding the principles of secularism, this act shall empower government officials to prohibit the wearing of any ‘conspicuous religious symbols’ in schools regardless of whether or not the aforementioned symbols are headcoverings. -This act shall empower the relevant government officials to determine reasonable penalties for the violation of this act provided that such penalties are not excessive in nature. As such violations of this act should be treated as minor offenses. === Status: Debate Senate Debate Approved [Introduced by European Future Party (EFP) Votes: 416 Yea, 80 Nay, 4 Abstentions Votes (Senate): 51 Yea, 39 Nay, 10 Abstentions Signed by President: Y

[b][u]VNN News: Gaznayev emerges victorious as new PRF leader[/b][/u] [i]“After yesterday’s inconclusive election result, the delegates of the Union of Patriotic Right Forces (PRF) today dealt the final blow to the leadership of Mr. Rinald Kanic. Mr Kanic, who has led the PRF for several years, was defeated by Dr. Maria Gaznayev who challenged him for the leadership of the political party. During the first round of the vote yesterday, neither candidate was able to obtain the required support of more than 550 of the 1000 party delegates. The incumbent Mr. Kanic obtained the votes of 540 delegates, while Dr. Gaznayev obtained the votes of the remaining 460 delegates. The second round of the leadership election gave a surprisingly overwhelming majority to Dr. Gaznayev. When the votes were cast in the second round, Mr. Kanic was only able to hold onto the support of 231 party delegates while Dr. Gaznayev obtained the support of 769 delegates. It is unclear what caused this dramatic, overnight reversal that saw Dr. Gaznayev gain the support of an additional 309 delegates at the expense of Mr. Kanic. With the overwhelming support of the PRF behind Dr. Gaznayev it appears that Mr. Kanic, whose position at the helm of the party was long thought to be untouchable, is now out of a job. The former party leader, known for his powerful speeches and biting wit, appeared to be at a loss for words as the results were announced. After several minutes of stunned silence, Mr. Kanic rose to concede to his opponent. In a speech that was only two sentences long, he thanked his supporters for their faith in him and conceded defeat to Dr. Gaznayev.”[/i]-R. Porter

[b][u]Z1 – Conspiratorial plot by NUM union boss defeated as workers demonstrate national spirit[/b][/u] [i]“The plot by the dastardly NUM General Secretary has been foiled and resoundingly defeated as the workers joined hands with the democratic government to deliver the coup de grace to the insidious plot! The Supreme Court, the highest judicial authority in the Motherland, issued a stern rebuke to the General Secretary exposing his plots and conspiracies for all the nation and the world to see. There was a mood of unity and national solidarity in the courtroom as the workers applauded the ruling and harshly criticized the General Secretary. After rigging the vote to ensure that his plot would succeed, the once proud General Secretary has been reduced to irrelevance as the workers have foiled his latest machinations. The revolutionary workers, buoyed by their patriotism and strong delegation to national progress, will now have to undertake the task of reclaiming their union from the clutches of the General Secretary. This battle will not be easy, but the workers have expressed a dedication and a willingness to reclaim their union that should make the entire nation proud. Glory to Zapadnaya! Glory to the Workers! Down with plots and conspiracies!”[/i]

"The government of Zapadnaya hereby recognizes the Republic of Baffin."-Teodora Petrova (Foreign Minister)

Proposal to regulate Internet content (The Internet Content Regulation Act) In the interests of promoting social harmony while supporting the advance of technology in an increasingly interconnected world, we hereby propose the following reforms to the regulation of internet content in Zapadnaya: -Content deemed to be advocating or seeking to incite insurrection or disorder may be classified as ‘Content harmful to social harmony’ -Content deemed to be inciting or seeking to incite the toppling of the democratic institutions of Zapadnaya or seeking the overthrow of the legitimate Constitutional order may be classified as ‘Content harmful to social harmony’. -Content deemed to be promoting hatred or discrimination may be classified as ‘Content harmful to social harmony’. -Content deemed to be inciting, seeking to incite, or supporting terrorism or acts of terrorism shall be classified as ‘Content harmful to social harmony’. -Content deemed to be critical of government officials or agencies may not be classified as ‘Content harmful to social harmony’ -The state shall empower Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as a condition of their licensing to block content harmful to social harmony provided such actions are approved in writing by the Internet Regulation Bureau (IRB) -The Internet Regulation Bureau (IRB) shall be a non-partisan Committee under the de jure authority of the Ministry of Interior. === Status: Debate Senate Debate Approved [Introduced by Justice & Development Party (JDP)] Votes (Parliament): 356 Yea, 100 Nay, 44 Abstentions Votes (Senate): 53 Yea, 37 Nay, 10 Abstentions Signed by President: Y

"The government of Zapadnaya hereby recognizes the Persian Empire."-Teodora Petrova (Foreign Minister)

The following message would be transmitted to the Alvonian government:

[b][u]ZCNA – NUM strike ruled illegal; Miners ordered back to work[/b][/u] [i]“Less than 12 hours after the National Union of Miners called a two day strike to protest against pay and working conditions, the government has obtained a judicial order declaring the strike illegal. According to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Supreme Court has ruled that the NUM strike is illegal and has ordered all striking miners to return to work without delay. The court agreed to grant the order after evidence of ballot tampering in the strike vote was presented by the government. Despite the objections of the NUM legal representative, the court agreed with the government and ruled accordingly. Under the terms of the court order, all striking workers have been given two hours to return to work or face disciplinary action. The privately owned National Mining Company (NMC) has welcomed the ruling and has sharply criticized the NUM’s actions. The NMC has revealed that it will be making ‘appropriate deductions’ from workers’ salaries to account for the lost work hours. No further disciplinary action, the company revealed, will be taken against workers who joined the strike. However, the NMC has pledged to terminate any worker who refuses to return to work within the timeframe of the judicial order. The NUM General Secretary has criticized the court order as well as the allegations of ballot rigging as a ‘government backed plot to undermine the rights of unions to strike’ and has rejected the return-to-work ultimatum. As there are no further avenues of judicial appeal, it is unclear how the NUM will proceed.”[/i]