Eastern Bloc Economic & Trade Conference

[Euphaia]

Bishops Palace in Debrecen, Hungary-Slovakia

Edited August 26, 2014 by Euphaia

[Euphaia]

[Euphaia]

*The Hungary-Slovakian Minister of Economy & Trade ( you know me, name coming shortly) would send an invite to Romania, Belarus, and Prussia, to attend a conference at the Biahop's Palace in Debrecen. This conference would be to discuss economic and trade matters within the Easten Bloc, and, it is hoped, to also obtain a port on the Prussian coast, by grant, lease, or sale to Hungary-Slovakia.*

Edited August 26, 2014 by Euphaia

[Mr Director]

Vladimir Andreichenko would be sent to the meeting.

[Euphaia]

*The Hungary-Slovakian Minister of Trade, Andras Damasa, would meet Vladimir Andreichenko just outside The Bishop's Palace, and would greet him warmly with a firm handshake.  He would let Vladimir know that chilled water, hot coffee, and numerous doughnuts are available inside and to feel free to help himself.*

Edited August 26, 2014 by Euphaia

[Evangeline Anovilis]

Using a special train from Bucharest to Debrecen, Maria I would travel to the Magyar location chosen for the meeting, accompanied by a handful of royal guards and servants. While the circumstances looked quite problematic, the Queen looked somewhat forward to concluding an economic treaty, so as to have the Bloc work together even more. She would politely greet Andreichenko and Damasa outside the palace, before proceeding inside, as despite the usage of a Parasol, Maria hated standing in bright daylight. Inside, she would take a cup of coffee, given tea was seemingly unavailable. One had to make do with what was there.

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

The Minister of Economics, Paul von Hindenburg, would be beamed into Debrecen for the meeting.

[Euphaia]

*Andras Damasa would warmly greet Minister Von Hindenburg and show him to the meeting room inside the Palace.*

"Thank you all for attending the Economic Conference. I trust everyone had a good trip mints Debrecen?"

*after,everyone had responded, Andras would continue*

"My first order of business is that the Hungary-Slovakian government would be extremely interested in leasing or purchasing a port on the Prussian coast to use for trade purposes. Minister Von Hindenburg, I have been asked to inquire with you if this would be possible, and if so, what Prussia would be asking in return? Hungary-Slovakiamis open to any fair and reasonable lease or sale terms.

The second order of business would be, I believe, that Maria has some suggestions for a Bloc-wide economic and trade treaty of sorts."

[Euphaia]

.

[Euphaia]

.

[Evangeline Anovilis]

"What's with this empty expressionless stare? It's kind of scary...", Maria would comment, as she wondered what the Hungarian minister was doing, while they were waiting for Hindenburg's reply.

[Euphaia]

"Hmm? Oh, my apologies. I was just waiting for either your or Hindenburg's response, and my mind started to drift.

The Hungary-Slovakian government really is quite anxious to get a second port up North, hopefully soon. Trade is our life-blood, and we greatly look forward to expanding it..."

[Evangeline Anovilis]

"Ah, well...", Maria said, sighing. "As Mr Hindenburg seems to not want to respond, I'll just start with my own point. The matter is, that currently, our states are all small and in need of imports of all kinds, as certain industries, especially in form of high technology, electronics, but also other vital areas, such as energy. And a good few more. This would be far less of a problem, would the world be an overall stable place, where you can depend on countries selling their goods at decent prices, but blockades and trade wars are becoming frequent, and I'm honestly unsure whether it is prudent to depend on regions like East Asia for goods, when neither the region, nor the seaways from East Asia to Europe are the most secure. I would suggest thus an economic bloc, which tries to promote domestic industrial alternatives within the Bloc. By removing trade barriers within the Bloc, creating central institutions for economic planning and moving from a policy of free market, to one of greater state intervention, to protect infant industries, we would hope to allow the Bloc to achieve greater autarky and economic independence. While it might be a net loss in national prosperity, it would have a stabilising effect on the economies of the Bloc, would allow us to remain less affected by global crisis and be more independent in political decision-making."

[Euphaia]

That sounds like a reasonable and smart idea. I don't imagine Hungary-Slovakia having any issues with such an arrangement.

*Andras would once again turn towards Mr. Hindenburg*

Does Prussia have any suggestions on this sort of system? Or any problems with Hungary-Slovakiamleasing or buying a port on Prussia's shore? I can assure you, it would be used mainly for trade purposes, with a few patrol boats along with it to protect the port and merchant freighters, of course.

[Mr Director]

"Belarus would be willing to sign on to such an agreement."

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

Paul blinked. "I don't really see why you would need one of our ports for trade purposes, considering that such agreements are already made by private companies on both of our sides, but we'll see... ".

Moving on from that point, he continued."Whilst we can see the merits of such a trade agreement, we will not accept any stipulations that weaken our control over monetary and fiscal policy. We maintain a level of intervention that is largely beneficial nationwide, and we will not do anything to jeopardise our current standings. However, coming to some sort of pact-wide agreement in regards to our dependencies on other exports worldwide could be useful - perhaps a joint consortium where we finance and subsidise our lacking sectors, so they can provide for our domestic demand?"

Edited September 4, 2014 by Horo the Wise Wolf

[Euphaia]

The port would be so Hungary-Slovakia can trade with nations on the other side of the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, such as Great Britain and Sverige, among others.

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

"I imagine that you can and already do trade with those nations. The fact that you would be leased a port is of no significance - the goods would simply be transported through roads to reach you." Edited September 4, 2014 by Horo the Wise Wolf

[Euphaia]

We trade with neither at the moment as the distance is too far from our port on the Black Sea. As it is, to trade with them would mean traveling through the Black Sea, through the Mediteranean Sea, clear around Spain, and all the way up to Great Britain. It is even farther to reach Sverige.

Once we have a port in either Prussia or Lithuania, the time, cost, and risk of shipping in that region is much shorter and much more cheap for Hungary-Slovakia.

[Horo the Wise Wolf]

Paul looked confused, but managed to compose himself. "I feel that it is highly likely that goods shipped to Baltic ports are later driven over land to Hungary-Slovakia... It is the private corporations who organise such things after all, and not something that we need to intervene in too much. Have you analysed your sources of trade? We import and export goods to locations further than the distance between your nation and the likes of Great Britain and Sverige."

Edited September 5, 2014 by Horo the Wise Wolf