Imperator Azenquor

“Indeed. I will transmit the pact to the Senate upon my return to Zapadnaya. I expect that ratification will take place without significant delay on our part. Once the Senate votes on ratification, we will inform the Romanian government of the result. Also, the Zapadnayan government has appointed Dr. Olya Mihova to serve as our Ambassador to Greater Romania. Dr. Mihova will be dispatched to Greater Romania shortly to present her credentials.”-Dragomirov The Zapadnayan President would add his signature to the document. “Your Excellency, once again thank you for hosting this meeting. I hope that the actions taken here today serve not only to strengthen ties between our two governments but to create a genuine atmosphere of friendship and trust between our people.”

[i]“The government of Zapadnaya applauds the intent behind the proposal of the International War Crimes Agreement however we will not be a signatory to the aforementioned agreement at this time. Our decision not to sign the pact is based upon the following: -In section D of the proposed agreement all accused war criminals are afforded trials by representatives of the signatory nations and require simply a 2/3 majority guilty verdict. This pact seems to place no standards on the quality, experience or impartiality of the representatives and may result in ‘majoritarianism’ trumping impartiality, justice and the rule of law. -The pact does not seem to include adequate safeguards to protect against political manipulation of the signatories’ tribunal, or explanations of any checks or balances to the authority that the pact seeks to absorb unto itself. -We express concern that the pact does not rule out attempting to claim jurisdiction over the civilian citizens and military personnel of states which are not signatory to the agreement even in such cases where the individuals are not on the territory or within the individual jurisdiction of any of the signatories of the pact. -Upon review of our own judicial processes, particularly relating to war crimes and the punishment thereof, it is the position of the government of Zapadnaya that our judicial system is capable of handling the arrest, investigation, trial and conviction of war criminals who fall under our jurisdiction. Therefore, in light of the above, we will continue the use of our pre-existing judicial processes and will not recognize the jurisdiction of any panel composed of signatories of the International War Crimes Agreement over any citizen of Zapadnaya.”[/i]-Justice Minister Selena Staneva

[i]“In light of the recognition of Sparta by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Empire of Carthage, the government of Zapadnaya hereby recognizes the new Spartan nation.”[/i]-Foreign Minister Ivo Draganov

“I would welcome participation in a regional dialogue between Zapadnaya, Romania and Yugoslavia, and such an initiative would have the clear support of my government. We share the hope that the…let us say…agent of instability, in Central Europe will be convinced of the necessity of a stable and peaceful European continent. Regarding the text, I have taken the liberty of drafting the following document based upon our consultations thus far. I would welcome your input on the text of the document, your Excellency.” – President Dragomirov ===

Public “The government of Zapadnaya expresses our profound concern regarding the situation. The public statements from the government of Alvonia relating to this matter are also of significant concern and are rather alarming.”-Foreign Minister Ivo Draganov == Private Diplomatic Message

***Highly Classified/Closed session of the Senate*** == Status: Senate Debate Approved [Introduced by Justice & Development Party (JDP)] Votes (Senate): 67 Yea, 32 Nay, 1 Abstentions

“Our national interests are threefold. Firstly we seek to ensure the maintenance of Zapadnaya’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in a world in which a small set of nations appear to hold the view that international borders are temporary obstacles to much wider ambitions. Secondly we seek to strengthen cooperation between our nation and our Balkan and South-east European neighbors in order to support regional stability. We hope that our ties with the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and the improving of the ties between our two nations will help to enhance this effort as well. Thirdly, in light of the recent Milanese nuclear terrorism, we seek to identify instigators of regional instability so that we may utilize available and appropriate tools to counter the instigation of the aforementioned instability. As for Zapadnaya’s place in Europe, I will admit that the collapse of the European Community and it’s overall failure has shaken our country’s faith in Europe somewhat. The actions of the Alvonian government have not exactly helped matters either. Despite this, the reality remains that our nation’s fate is inextricably linked with Europe. As such we hope to develop ties with other European nations provided that those ties serve to strengthen stability rather than to grant political cover for actions which are to the detriment of the nations on our continent. It is our hope, should ties between our nation and the other nations in the Balkan region continue to develop along a positive trajectory, that further cooperation could include economic cooperation as well as counterterrorism and military cooperation. Do forgive me, your Excellency, I appear to be rambling on.”-Dragomirov The Zapadnayan President would take another sip of his coffee while for Premier Vlasceanu’s reply.

[b][u]Notification to Parliament from the Internet Regulation Bureau, Ministry of Interior[/b][/u] The Internet Regulation Bureau (IRB) of the Ministry of Interior has utilized the Internet Content Regulation Act and has restricted access to five websites under the ‘Social Harmony’ provision. Under the terms of the Internet Content Regulation Act, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Zapadnaya will be required to block the following websites: -www.cultofthegiantpineapple.com -www.news.ba -www.al-kebab.org.zp -www.revolution.org.zp -www.free-bulgaria.org.zp Additionally, it has come to the attention of the Ministry of Interior that individuals are utilizing the internet in order to circulate a so-called ‘holy text’ of a Dreamer’s Cult. Given the prospect of such dangerous nonsense negatively impacting Zapadnaya, the Internet Regulation Bureau (IRB) has ordered that all ISPs should prohibit access to any website which contains the aforementioned document under the aegis of the Social Harmony provision. As is customary, the Internet Regulation Bureau (IRB) will allow a 14 day period for appeals to be filed against the restrictions.

[b][u]VNN News: Municipal government elections delayed, Gaznayev begins campaign[/b][/u] [i]“In a short statement today, the government of the Serene Republic announced that the municipal and local government elections which are due to take place next month have been postponed until next year. According to the government, the delay will facilitate the redistricting of several municipal boundaries as well as allowing the government to complete reforms to the election and management of municipal bodies. The government revealed that the municipal redistricting was expected to be completed this month, but that objections were raised by a handful of city councils forcing the government to review the proposals. In the interim, all city council members, Mayors and governors who were elected during the last municipal and local government elections are to remain in office. In the event that a municipal office becomes vacant during the extra-ordinary one year period, the office will be filled by a provisional appointee from the same political bloc as the prior municipal office holder. The Ministry of Local Government and Administration apologizes for any inconvenience that the election delay causes. In other news, Dr. Maria Gaznayev, leader of the Union of Patriotic Right Forces (PRF) has kick-started her political campaign for the next elections with a well-attended rally in Yakutsk. Dr. Gaznayev attacked Prime Minister Pavel Rokossovsky for being ‘out of touch’ with the people of the country and claimed that the government has compromised on what she referred to as ‘firm conservative principles’. In her address, she pledged to restore national pride and strengthen the monarchy as the ‘leading institution of the Serene Republic of Vaule’. She praised His Most Orthodox Royal Highness the Imperator and ridiculed anti-monarchists as ‘traitors, bastards and thieves’.”[/i]-R. Porter

The government of Zapadnaya would send the following private diplomatic message to the government of Carthage:

The following message would be sent to the Japanese Embassy in Zapadnaya and simultaneously to the Japanese government via Zapadnaya's Embassy in Japan: "The Government of Zapadnaya extends greetings and well-wishes to Her Imperial Majesty and the Government of Japan and would like to inform the government of Japan that the Zapadnayan Senate has ratified our treaty."

***Classified/Closed session of the Senate*** == Status: Senate Debate Approved [Introduced by Justice & Development Party (JDP)] Votes (Senate): 51 Yea, 40 Nay, 9 Abstentions

After thanking the intern, the Zapadnayan President would take a sip of his coffee. After listening intently, President Dragomirov spoke: [i]“I am glad that we could identify areas of common interest, your Excellency, and I hope that we may further deepen bilateral cooperation in the future. Your reassurance regarding civilian shipping via the Danube and the Bosphorus is noted and greatly appreciated by my government. In the spirit of contributing to enhancing mutual trust and communication between our nations, I would welcome any questions that you may have regarding Zapadnaya or our policies.”[/i]-Dragomirov

The Zapadnayan President nodded while making a few quick notes. “An excellent first step, your Excellency. I look forward to receiving the Romanian Ambassador to Zapadnaya upon his or her appointment. Additionally, we shall dispatch a Zapadnayan Ambassador to present his credentials to Her Majesty’s representative without delay. I am glad to see that both our governments are concerned with the maintenance of regional peace and stability. I hope that meaningful stability in our region can be maintained and enhanced through direct engagement between regional nations including between Zapadnaya and Romania and by extension the other members of the Eastern Bloc. We hope to use the channels of communication established today to facilitate this engagement. On that note we would like to express our support of Romania's intervention to secure the Bosphorus straits in light of the sudden collapse of the Spartan and the Roman nations. Regarding the recent border crisis, we shall in future ensure that the reasons for any disruptions to the normal flow of traffic along the border are communicated to the Romanian government in a timely manner. Additionally, we will in future ensure that our diplomatic representatives are available to address any concerns on the Romanian side should a similar border closure occur in the future. Secondly, I would like to discuss the prospect of signing a Non-aggression pact between our two nations and to explore the prospect of an economic agreement to increase trade and reduce tariffs.”-Dragomirov

A private diplomatic note would be sent to the Alvonian government informing them that the Zapadnayan Senate had ratified the treaty and that it was now in force.

***Classified/Closed session of the Senate*** == Status: Senate Debate Approved [Introduced by Justice & Development Party (JDP)] Votes (Senate): 95 Yea, 1 Nay, 4 Abstentions

[i]“Of course, your Majesty. Any kind of pie would be acceptable from our standpoint. As we have agreed the treaty text, all that remains is to sign it. Though I must caution that on our side, the treaty cannot enter into force simply with my signature. Once the pact has been signed, our Constitutional process requires it’s ratification by the Senate. This process usually occurs within 48 hours of the signing of the treaty. Once ratification occurs, we will send a diplomatic communication to the government of the Imperium of Japan.”[/i]-President Dobreva Without much fanfare, President Dobreva signed the treaty.

[i]“It was a rather short and tolerable trip, your Excellency. Thank you for agreeing to this meeting.”[/i] After pondering for a few seconds, Dragomirov replied: [i]“A cup of coffee would be wonderful. Thank you.”[/i] The Zapadnayan President shook the Romanian Prime Minister’s hand before taking the offered seat. [i]“Prime Minister Vlasceanu, I requested to meet with you firstly in order to address the lack of a formal channel of communication between our two countries despite our close proximity. This lack of a communication channel became most apparent during the recent closure of our northern border. As the decision to open an embassy and to exchange diplomats was not taken previously, I would like to extend an offer to the Romanian government to open an embassy in Sofia. Additionally, should your government approve, we are prepared to dispatch a diplomatic representative to Bucharest.”[/i]

In reply to the message from the government of Romania, the following private message would be sent to the Romanian government: == Once the necessary preparations were made and agreed to with the Romanian government, the Zapadnayan President’s aircraft would depart Sofia for Bucharest. As soon as he arrived, President Dragomirov went to greet his Romanian hosts.

The following private message would be sent to the government of the Kingdom of Greater Romania:

After reviewing the text, President Dragomirov added his signature then handed the document to the Alvonian Head of Government for her to do the same. “As is customary, I will urgently transmit the treaty to the Zapadnayan Senate for it to be ratified. The ratification process should take no more than 24 hours after which we will consider the treaty to be in force. Upon ratification, the current treaty will officially replace our previous pact.”-Dragomirov

[b][u]VNN News: M-FOR arrives in Marscurian Siberia, Max Reaver declares the area a ‘dump’[/b][/u] [i]“With the Interim Transitional Authority (ITA) for the former Marscurian Autonomous Republic (M.A.R.) now in place, the government of the Serene Republic has announced that locals will go to the polls next month to elect their two representatives to the five member ITA. This announcement comes after suggestions that the government intended to simply appoint two local officials to the ITA. The government has now confirmed that Dr. Maximillian Reaver has accepted the appointment to lead the ITA during the transitional period. Earlier today, Dr. Reaver arrived in the region in order to ‘gain a deeper understanding’ of the situation in the territory. Shortly after his arrival, Dr. Reaver remarked that some of the poverty stricken areas of the territory were ‘an absolute dump and an eyesore’. He pledged to focus on upgrading the living conditions and the infrastructure in these areas as a key pillar of the ITA program. After surveying the situation, Dr. Reaver reported that the government allocated funds of NRR$ 2.6 Billion will not be enough to undertake a massive overhaul of the infrastructure and governmental institutions in the territory. To aid in the process, Dr. Reaver announced that he would be allocating NRR$832 Million over three years to aid development programs in the region. When asked for an estimate of funds needed to upgrade infrastructure and manage administration until the handover to local authorities, Dr. Reaver estimated that the ITA would need at least NRR$3.2 Billion. On the security front, the 5,000 soldier M-FOR peacekeeping force has now been successfully deployed in the mainland territory as well as in the Kamchatka region. This force will be primarily responsible for security over the next year and has been tasked with maintaining order and aiding the functioning of local government institutions. To aid in this process, M-FOR has announced that it will be seeking to retain at least 12,000 Marscurian police officials to assist with day-to-day security. The Guardians of the Peace of the Serene Republic (G.P.S.R.) has send 400 technical advisors and support staff to the region in support of the M-FOR peacekeeping unit.”[/i]-R. Porter

After looking over the draft text, President Dobreva would make a handful of changes before handing it back to the Japanese Empress for her perusal. "Here is a revised text for your consideration"-Dobreva

[i]“The position of our government has been clearly established and I have stated what that position is, your Majesty. In our government’s determination of whether or not to recognize a protectorate claim by another country, we examine each situation to weigh the impact on our country first and to consider the impact on those residing in the area being placed under protection second. The notion that our government has some ‘one size fits all’ policy regarding our recognition of the declaration of protectorates is not accurate. As we have stated previously there is no magic formula that leads to one nation’s declaration of a protectorate being more legitimate than another. If for example, there were a French speaking nation in Australasia that collapses, you seem to imply that the mere fact that such a nation speaks French, or has a culture that is close to that of the French would give the French the only ‘legitimate’ reason to declare a protectorate. We disagree with this assertion. As for the Kingdom of Sparta, we wish Yugoslavia well in it’s effort to…’politically neutralize’ the Spartans. As for your striving to ‘do what is right and honorable’ for Yugoslavia and it’s neighbors, I would respectfully ask who appointed you to determine what is right and honorable or what ensures 'peace and stability' for countries in the region other than your own, your Majesty? Now, if you pardon my frankness, is there some other purpose for this meeting or did you simply wish to rant about Spartan imperialism ad nauseam?”[/i]-President Dobreva