Wartime Diplomacy

[Californian]

With the crisis unfolding in Germany the majority of the focus in the government was upon the military and Office of Security. The situation was quickly devolving into a full-fledged war and the defense of the Northlands and Germany was of the utmost importance.

 

But even if overshadowed the Office of Foreign Affairs was doing its part to solidify the security of the nation. It was reaching out to its allies, and looking for potential new partners especially with the prospect of escalation of hostilities in Germany. One such state was Carthage, already proving to be a key player in the Mediterranean so soon after its formation. Lemaitre decided to reach out and meet with the Carthaginians to discuss possible cooperation between the two nations. 

 

A message would be sent from the Office of Foreign Affairs to its Carthaginian counterpart, and Alexandre Lemaitre, the man in charge of Northlandic foreign affairs, would request a meeting to be held in Funchal. Lemaitre would await the arrival of his guests.

 

 

[Centurius]

Due to the volatile nature of the situation the decision was made that for once it might be better not to send the King himself, despite Madeira being far enough from the conflict to not directly be at risk. As such the recently appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Alfarsi, would take a private plane of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Madeira for a meeting with one of the few Mediterranean partners Carthage had minimal interactions with as of now. It was his hope this would soon change.

[Californian]

Unlike other parts of the Northlands where wartime safety measures were being implemented in cities and towns, Madeira had so far been spared. There was noticeable tension in the streets and supplies at supermarkets were being quickly bought off the shelves, but otherwise life proceeded at normal. Security at government buildings had been increased, and the meeting with Carthage would take place in an unassuming building to provide added safety. 

 

Lemaitre would greet Alfarsi as he arrived. "Welcome, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance and formally begin relations between our nations. If you're hungry or thirsty after your journey please don't hesitate to say so, but under the circumstances I hope you'll allow me get straight to the heart of our meeting. 

 

First, King William IV sends his regards to your King and sends his apologies for not being able to meet him personally at this point in time. Our Malta and Ballearic provinces make us neighbors in the Mediterranean and we are eager to begin relations with your state. We are appreciative of your efforts for peace in the region, especially with the recent collapse of our ally Portugal and your commitment to preventing anarchy there. Their collapse leaves us as the sole overseers of Gibraltar and we are eager to work with Carthage especially in matters of trade.

 

Secondly and most importantly, I would like to discuss the possibility of a security partnership between our states, and I wish to hear more about your foreign policy vision and objectives regarding the Mediterranean and Europe as a whole. As you are well aware the Northlands is currently engaged in a dispute with Alvonia over their invasion of Germany and their ally Milan has recently signaled their intent to escalate the conflict into the Mediterranean with a possible attack on the Balearic Islands. We are hopeful of resolving the German conflict without embroiling the continent in war, but we are ultimately committed to the safety and well being of our nation and our allies and will do whatever is necessary to ensure that." 

[Centurius]

Ali would politely decline the offer as he was one of the few men in Carthage who preferred to handle business before other things. As such he could appreciate the sentiment of his Northlands counterpart in getting to the core of the issue immediately.

 

"When it comes to trade it is difficult for my country to negotiate due to obligations from the African League. As for our objectives within the Mediterranean and Europe as a whole. Carthage has historically been strongly involved in both of these regions. We have a vested interest in protecting our kinsmen from centuries ago in Iberia and so many other places bordering the Mediterranean. Furthermore as it is the two non-African League allies Carthage has are in fact powers bordering the Mediterranean and one of them is European even. We have no specific dispute with Milan however due to their current dispute with our allies in Sparta and the threat of further destabilizing the Mediterranean by engaging your lands within it I feel that for the ability of trade to flow as well as general security to be established the responsible and mature powers need to form a single united front. It is because of this that I myself, the King and the government of Carthage would like to establish formal military ties between our two countries so we can achieve these objectives. I have also been given a mandate to make such an agreement retroactive and will pledge the full might of Carthage if Northlands were to be engaged by Milan"

[Californian]

"Our goals for the Mediterranean are aligned, as we view the peaceful flow of trade to be of paramount importance. To this end, and to ensure the security of the region particularly from new unstable actors such as Milan, we would be in favor of a military agreement with Carthage. Beyond mutual defense, we believe that optional aggression should be included to ensure that neither of our nations would be constrained in the event of a crisis that requires immediate action. 

 

We appreciate your willingness to aid us as the conflict between Milan and Babylon escalates, should it become necessary. We hope they would not make the mistake of expanding the conflict outside of the peninsula. However we would look to work with Carthage during this time to ensure commerce and security do not become threatened in the region."

[Centurius]

Ali nodded as he listened to his counterpart. "Excellent, I can agree to that in full and have been granted the permission to sign for the Kingdom of Carthage so we may see this agreement passed immediately and work towards the greater good of both our states"

[Californian]

"Excellent," Lemaitre would reply as he passed some papers over to Ali. "This is a standard mutual defense and optional aggression agreement with clauses for intelligence. No economic stipulations have been included to comply with the African League, though the Northlands hopes to explore trade relations with Africa and hopes that Carthage would vouch for us in such a situation."

 

Lemaitre would pass some additional paperwork. "Due to the current status of southern Iberia, I figured it would be prudent to discuss Gibraltar. Our agreement with the previous Portuguese government was found to work well and we were wondering whether this is something Carthage wishes to continue. Namely, while Gibraltar remains a dependent territory of the Northlands, port access would be provided to Carthage and you would assume stewardship of Gibraltar should there be a change in status or the Northlands becomes unable to govern the territory. Additionally, a joint Gibraltar Security Force between our nations could be established to ensure the security of the Strait and nearby waters."

[Centurius]

Ali nodded as he read over the document, as soon as he finished reading it he would attach his signature at the bottom.

 

"That is a perfectly acceptable scenario and the Kingdom sees no need to oppose continued ownership of Gibraltar by the Northlands. We will gladly participate in the agreement as you outline and we can pledge elements of our forces to participate in such a joint force"

[Californian]

Lemaitre would sign the documents that had been discussed. "I'll forward the Gibraltar Agreement to our Office of Security so they can begin collaboration on the security force." Satisfied with how the meeting had proceeded, he would speak again. "The Northlands looks forward to having Carthage as an ally in the region. Is there anything else you wished to discuss today?"