Strengthening Ties

[TheShammySocialist]

[b]Diplomatic Dispatch[/b]

[quote][b]To: Isabel Vieira, Premier of the Federativa República do Pará
From: Ignacio de Ardanza, President of Greater Colombia[/b]

Greetings Premier Vieira,

It has been a number of years since my Foreign Minister met with you in Para and concluded an initial agreement with your government that bound our countries closer to one another. With the growth of Para and Colombia since that initial meeting, I would like to extend a cordial invitation to you or a member of your government of your choice to discuss future strengthened ties between our two respective states. Our countries' relationship remains a very high priority despite recent adjustments that were made in the days following the de Santa Anna rebellion.

I believe that given that our two states border one another and the relative expansion of Para's economy since that occasion, I think that a refresher of our initial agreement would certainly be beneficial to our two nations. We look forward to receiving a reply on this matter.

[i]All the best,[/i]

[font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][i]Ignacio de Ardanza[/i][/font]
[font=lucida sans unicode,lucida grande,sans-serif][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]President of Greater Colombia[/b][/quote][/font][/font]

[Lestari]

[quote]
[size=4][b]To: Ignacio de Ardanza, President of Greater Colombia[/b][/size]
[size=4][b]From: Isabel Vieira of the [b]República do Pará[/b][/b][/size]

[size=4]Good afternoon, President de Ardanza,[/size]

[size=4]I'd be most pleased to meet you, or Mr. Barrachos, in Colombia. We in [color=#000000][font=sans-serif]Pará have [/font][/color]kept largely to ourselves these past couple of years, overseeing matters of internal growth and the fluid, cooperative integration of old [color=#000000][font=sans-serif]Pará and [/font][/color]Maranhão into the Republic, but I feel it a prudent time, with the rise of Chile to the South and the return of peace to South America as a continent, to begin considering once again [color=#000000][font=sans-serif]Pará's place in the world and in South America, and our relations to our neighbours. [/font][/color]I can think of no better place to start than with renewing relations between our two nations-- the unfortunate incidence of the de Santa Anna rebellion aside, Colombia under the de Ardanza leadership has proven a stalwart of stability and cooperation in South America. I look forward to refreshing the relationship between our two nations.[/size]

[size=4]Sincerely,[/size]

[size=4]Isabel Vieira[/size]
[/quote]

Soon after sending the reply, Isabel embarked for the island of Trinidad to meet with the government of Greater Colombia.

[TheShammySocialist]

A short reply message would indicate Colombia's intention to have the meeting on its island state of Trinidad, and wished the Premier safe travels before she embarked for the meeting's venue.

Despite the war that had engulfed Colombia's shores and left a number of places damaged and in need of repair, Trinidad was one of the few places in the country that had escaped the war relatively unscathed, probably due to the nature that it would have been isolated once Colombia's foes had decimated the rest of her navy. Much of the damage to Trinidad's military infrastructure had been repaired by the time Para and Colombia would meet. Colombia's counterparts would be directed by civilian air traffic control that oversaw Trinidad's international airport and various smaller air strips and two military aerial installations to land at Williams Air Force Base, part of the Claxton Bay Joint Forces Installation. Although Trinidad was a state of well over a million people, despite its population size, and the relatively strong presence of the Colombian Armed Forces, the island was able to maintain a very lush green appearance, which added to its allure as one of Colombia's main tourist destinations.

The island had gained much from inclusion in Greater Colombia; infrastructure had been improved upon, and the services-related industries promoted by the government, Trinidad was the site of a relatively lucrative yacht and small-boat construction industry, with multiple corporations utilizing the islands' population. Trinidad also had a relatively large fishing fleet, and many citizens were also members of Colombia's merchant marine fleet, as well as part of the naval auxiliary force, its population had suffered the effects of the war heavily with more grief than damage; a large number of sailors in Colombia's Atlantic Fleet were citizens of Trinidad State. Nonetheless, the state possessed a vibrant Caribbean community and was a cultural melting pot of various religions and races from around the world, that had made the transition to successfully coexist with one another despite the variety that inhabited the island state.

That aside, when the Premier of Para and her entourage would touch down at Williams after an approach that took them over most of the island, they would find themselves met by a small group of individuals on the tarmac. At the head of that group, Ignacio de Ardanza, his arm still in a sling but looking upbeat, the President would be flanked by an honor detachment of the Republican Guard, as well as a few other individuals involved in his government. As the plane bearing their guests rolled to a halt and a truck-mounted staircase was brought up, Ignacio would walk forward to greet Vieira with an outstretched hand.

"Pleasure to finally meet you, Premier."

[Lestari]

OOC: Really sorry for neglecting this and CNRP in general. Had a bit of a rough patch these past few days, but I'm hoping to have the reply finally in sometime tomorrow.

[Lestari]

Trinidad in January-- a surprisingly pleasant locale, considering the reputation of the Caribbeans as a sweltering tropical paradise. Paradise, it may have been-- the view from the tarmac of her landing jet did not afford her much opportunity to form an opinion on that, though the aerial view certainly wasn't discouraging. But when Isabel Vieira stepped out into the open air, she was greeted with the warmth of the sun on her face and the balmy breeze about her, and a welcome change of atmosphere and pace was all but hanging in the air of the island.

Out on the tarmac, as Isabel descended from the plane, stood a congregation of aides and officials, flanked by what was clearly an elite wing of the Colombian military, headed at the helm by President de Ardanza himself. The two heads of state approached one another with hands outstretched, and Isabel shook the Colombian president's with a firm grip, smiling cordially as he welcomed her. "Pleasure to finally meet you, Premier."

"The pleasure is entirely mine," she answered, looking around at the other members of his entourage as she spoke, meeting the eyes of each one with a nod and a smile. "Especially to be invited to such a beautiful island. I've never had the pleasure of visiting the Caribbeans, sad to say." She looked back to de Ardanza as they broke off the handshake. "Thank you for the opportunity to amend that, and the opportunity to bolster relations between our countries."

[TheShammySocialist]

[b][OOC: Sorry about the late reply.][/b]

"Trinidad is one of but a number of Caribbean islands Colombia has the pleasure of administrating over, Premier, but it is the only island that enjoys Statehood," remarked Ignacio, with a smile, as he would motion her to follow him. Waiting for the duo of national leaders was a well-kept 1972 Lincoln Presidential Series Limousine, which appeared to be in tip-top condition, the engine was smoothly running as well, and he looked at the Premier, as an aide would open the door for them, "The Governor of Trinidad sends his regards, he let us borrow this for our summit."

As they would settle into the back of the limousine, which was afforded a light but not overly-exceptional escort of two black government sport utility vehicles, Ignacio would remark, "I must say that I am personally glad that Para was able to expand her holdings that eventually gave us a land border with one another, and the rise of other nations in the rest of the continent recently is making me very optimistic for a revitalized South American continent. I know that my Ministry of Foreign Affairs can probably give me a sixty page report on what is going on in Para for recent economic, social, and political activity without so much as batting an eyelash, but it's better to hear it from the individual who oversees it. How fares Para these days?"

As they left Williams Air Force Base, they would pass the Claxton Bay Naval Station, one of the homes for the Colombian Navy's Amphibious Strike Forces, and a large array of the small-and-large light-grey-painted ships rode at anchor out in the bay. As they were in a military enclosure, the traffic on the roads they traveled was predominantly military vehicles or government vehicles, the latter mostly being black SUVs or sedans. The waters of the Caribbean that lapped at the beaches of Claxton Bay were pristine and light blue, and the leaders' small convoy would pass both off-duty personnel laid out on the beaches or enjoying the water, interspersed with a squad of Marines that were clearly doing some type of training, their amphibious fighting vehicle a giant green-and-black hulk that seemed out of place amongst the colorful beach towels and swimsuits of service personnel enjoying time off. The eventual destination of the convoy would be Hacienda St. Margaret, a government-run residence primarily for military and government functions on Trinidad.

[Lestari]

Isabel followed President de Ardanza to the rather stately-looking limousine that was destined to bear the two heads of state to their meeting place, quickly thanked the aide who had opened the door for them as she settled into the car beside the Colombian president.

"I must say," de Ardanza began as the car commenced to trundling along the road, flanked by two of your standard government issue SUVs (all black, windows tinted, presumably everybody inside wearing a flawless suit and a pair of sunglasses, etc). "I am personally glad that Pará was able to expand her holdings that eventually gave us a land border with one another, the rise of other nations in the rest of the continent recently is making me very optimistic for a revitalized South American continent. I know that my Ministry of Foreign Affairs can probably give me a sixty page report on what is going on in Pará for recent economic, social, and political activity without so much as batting an eyelash, but it's better to hear it from the individual who oversees it. How fares Pará these days?"

 

"Well, as you perhaps are already aware, Pará has of recent enjoyed a surge in employment levels, infrastructure quality, and overall standard of living," Isabel replied. "It's been long in the coming. Pará has historically lagged behind the rest of the continent in those terms-- owing largely to issues of overpopulation that have plagued the region since the days of the Holy American Civil War. It's been quite a process, reversing the economic, political, social effects that stem from that, but I'm most pleased to say that days of rising unemployment levels and insufficient infrastructure are well behind us. There's always room for improvement, of course, but I think I can say that Pará fares well." She smiled as she fell silent, casting her gaze momentarily out the window of the limousine, out unto the waters of the bay in the distance. A varied assortment of ships lingered out at sea, perhaps spoiling the otherwise pristine expanse of azure that lay beyond the flaxen beaches of the Caribbean island. [I]But I'm not here to admire the ocean, now am I?[/I] A minute smile curled at the corners of her lips. [I]I may well be the only person in history to have come out to a beautiful Caribbean island and deliberately think only of business.[/I] Kaneda woulda given her hell over it, which wasn't particularly remarkable, because Kaneda liked to give her hell over most everything. She was like the sassy teenage daughter Isabel had never had, if sassy teenage daughters commanded navies and totally rocked military uniforms.

 

"Anyway," she said again, more to herself than anybody else, and she turned her gaze back to de Ardanza. Her voice was less light-hearted, her tone less casual as she spoke. "Can the same be said for Colombia? I wouldn't think to suggest it's easy, recovering from the... regrettable circumstances of recent months."

[TheShammySocialist]

As de Ardanza attentively listened to the Premier speak, they would continue to drive further from the air installation, ending up in a neighborhood of what appeared to be a series of offices, most of them inside buildings that were once estate or vacation homes. Instead of the cookie-cutter military installations that had sprung up in the interior of Greater Colombia, the Armed Forces on Trinidad tended to like to occupy existing structures for their own uses. There appeared to be a much more heavier civilian presence, and things didn't seem to be as regimented here as they were on the road from Williams, and a number of civilians, recognizing the shadowy figures inside the limousine for who they were, would wave in a friendly fashion as it moved smoothly through the streets.

 

When Vieira posed her own question to Ignacio, he smiled lightly, opting to first comment on her answers to his query, "That is most encouraging to hear that Para has begun to flourish despite its initially humble beginnings, born from the turmoil that has seemingly plagued this continent until recently after the Holy American Empire broke up. As probably one of our most important and stable neighbors, it is quite uplifting to hear that your nation is coming into its own, Premier, I mean that."

 

He would be interrupted as the small convoy of vehicles entered the gates of a coastal hacienda, that was not particularly large, but it appeared to serve its purpose as a function hall nonetheless. "Welcome to Hacienda St. Margaret, Premier," remarked Ignacio, as the door was opened for them, and he would continue his answer to her question as they stepped out.

 

"To answer the query you posed to me, Colombia has been able to rebound from the conflict that was started by Lupe de Santa Anna relatively quickly, we were lucky to have a number of friends internationally who provided us with aid to rebuild. Most of our industry was left intact, the energy sector saw some moderate damage, but nothing that has taken the country offline from being able to supply exports and itself. Infrastructure remains a work in progress, but we're looking at this as an opportunity to upgrade existing or damaged infrastructure with better construction and engineering techniques. It has also given us a chance to overhaul security that will also help ward off possible bids of industrial espionage, as well as taught us a number of valuable lessons that we won't be quick to forget," he said, in an upbeat tone, as they would walk around the hacienda to a large, roofed porch that faced the ocean.

 

Some simple wicker chairs with comfortable cushions had been arrayed there, and he bade her to take a seat, he withheld on taking his own, as his face seemed to go from upbeat to one of sobriety. "Unfortunately, those lessons came with a cost, a cost that can never be replaced or bought, both soldiers and civilians fell by the thousands in this conflict. Privately, I cannot help but feel somewhat responsible for the carnage, and it is a burden that this country, and our opponents, share, something that can never be returned to us. I can only hope that a tragedy like that one does not befall us again, nor any country for that matter, wars may be fought for the right reasons, Premier, but that never makes them, wholly, a 'good' thing," he said, finally turning to affix her with an enigmatic gaze.

 

"I apologize for my dissertation," he said finally, nodding thanks to an aide who provided a jug of water and glasses, before quickly departing. "I hope that the conflict did not shake Para's confidence in Colombia's stability as a nation," Ignacio said, firmly, as he poured two glasses.

[Lestari]

President de Ardanza met Isabel's words with a smile. "It is most encouraging," he replied, addressing first the former point of the burgeoning state of Pará. "To hear that Para has begun to flourish despite its initially humble beginnings, born from the turmoil that has seemingly plagued this continent until recently after the Holy American Empire broke up. As probably one of our most important and stable neighbors, it is quite uplifting to hear that your nation is coming into its own, Premier. I mean that."

 

Isabel returned the smile cordially as the vehicle bearing them unto their destination slowed to a gradual stop. "The sentiment is much appreciated," was all she remarked in responce as the two heads of state disembarked from the limousine; she thanked the aide that had opened the doors for them, and cast an appreciative glance around the locale. A small estate-- even reminded her a bit, just a bit, of the old [I]fazendas[/I] that still dotted the Paráense countryside, their magnificence dimmed but not at all extinguished by disuse and the relentless march of time. Not to imply she was necessarily fond of the old plantations-- the [I]fazendas[/I] occupied their own less than pleasant page of Brazilian history, and that stain to their name aside, she found their architecture by its nature perhaps a little too... well, what was the word? [I]Let's just go with vain, eh?[/I] Yes-- it was probably best to say the [I]fazendas[/I] quite aptly epitomised the aristocratic vanity of the day.

 

Well, that was a whole lotta off-topic goin' on in her head. Isabel merely shook her head a bit, got back in the flow of things and followed the Colombian president as they proceeded along through the quaint halls of the estate. "To answer the query you posed to me," de Ardanza began to speak again, now remarking upon the latter point of the premier's words; there was a lively beat to his words. "Colombia has been able to rebound from the conflict that was started by Lupe de Santa Anna relatively quickly-- we were lucky to have a number of friends internationally who provided us with aid to rebuild. Most of our industry was left intact, the energy sector saw some moderate damage, but nothing that has taken the country offline from being able to supply exports and itself. Infrastructure remains a work in progress. But we're looking at this as an opportunity to upgrade existing or damaged infrastructure with better construction and engineering techniques. It has also given us a chance to overhaul security that will also help ward off possible bids of industrial espionage, as well as taught us a number of valuable lessons that we won't be quick to forget."

 

They had arrived now upon a roofed balcony of sorts, looking out unto the Atlantic; an assortment of wicker chairs had been arranged there, adorned with cushions. The president gestured for Isabel to take a seat, and graciously she did; as her counterpart followed suite, however, there was a palpable shift in his demeanour. "Unfortunately, those lessons came with a cost, a cost that can never be replaced or bought. Both soldiers and civilians fell by the thousands in this conflict. Privately, I cannot help but feel somewhat responsible for the carnage, and it is a burden that this country, and our opponents, share, something that can never be returned to us. I can only hope that a tragedy like that one does not befall us again, nor any country for that matter. Wars may be fought for the right reasons, Premier, but that never makes them, wholly, a 'good' thing."

"I fear I may know that only too well," Isabel replied shortly, maintaining a solemn tone at the grave turn of conversation. As the two fell silent, an aide appeared with a jug of water and a couple of glasses, setting them upon the table between the president and the premier. "I apologise for my dissertation," he added, as he took the glasses and began to pour water into both. "I hope that the conflict did not shake Para's confidence in Colombia's stability as a nation."

 

At this, the premier remarked thoughtfully, "I think I can say with some confidence that I have great faith in your administration, President de Ardanza. Recent years have not seen the most peace-minded leaders in South America, and it's refreshing to be able to meet with and discuss national relations with an administration as devoted to the goal of a peaceful, unified South America as Colombia."