Break the Cold Shoulder

[Shave N Haircut]

 

Third French Empire
Office of Foreign Affairs
145 Emperor Street, Orleans

NPLNBNPT

MESSAGE FOR: Northlands Foreign Affairs Office

SUBJECT: Diplomatic Correspondence

We very much wish to break the diplomatic silence that has surrounded our two nations for years now. While the border is peaceful and trade still flourishes under our previous treaty, it is impossible to gauge the state of our relations without some sort of discourse, and we very much wish to become closer to our closest neighbor, culturally, linguistically, and geographically. Whether this occurs within the Northlands or France is not important to us so long as some meeting is arranged.

 

Jeanne de LaQueu
Empress of France
COMMANDING

Edited December 7, 2014 by Shave N Haircut

[Californian]

The following reply would be sent:

The Northlands

OFFICE OF THE REGENT

931 Waterloo Avenue, Noordenwind

 

Empress Jeanne de LaQueu:

 

We agree that now would be an appropriate time to hold bilateral discussions on the state of relations between our states. While our relations have been cordial and mutually beneficial to this point, it is hoped this is a foundation, not status quo, from which to build the French-Northlands future. 

 

I am prepared to meet with you in France on a mutually agreed upon time and date. 

 

Respectfully,

 

Dante Quaeckernaeck

Lord Protector of the Northlands

 

 

[Shave N Haircut]

Jeanne was prepared to receive her counterpart from the Northlands, and was actually a little nervous about it. The Northlands and France had a lot in common. Overseas territory, extremely prolific trade, and culture that went back with each other for thousands of years. However, they'd not had the best of experiences with each other, despite the rather lucrative trade treaty they'd enjoyed for the last decade. Silence had prevailed despite the closeness of the two and the brushes with war the two had had with respective allies.

She stood next to her office door instead of within, wanting to greet him there, as an equal.

[Californian]

Quaeckernaeck would arrive in Orleans, prepared to begin discussions with the Empress. Recent talks with the Nordisk Rike, Russia, and other states had allowed him, having only assumed his post recently, to become acquainted with the world of high level political negotiations. The existing relations between the Northlands and France were quite interconnected, and he had spent a great deal of time poring over numerous large files containing the intricacies of trade, border controls, and other areas of interaction with government advisers. Armed with a great deal of knowledge on the extensive, if not little talked about, interactions with France he would confidently walk into the building and meet the monarch.

 

"Empress de LaQueu," he would greet her as he reciprocated her welcome. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I speak for the entirety of the Northlandic government when I say this meeting is long overdue, and that we care very much for the well-being and prosperity of our southern neighbors. I hope we can take some steps today to make up for our lapse in the level of communication the relationship between France and the Northlands deserves." He would let her respond, and appreciate the opportunity to be speaking French. He was fluent and had a Northlandic accent to be sure, but it sure beat the English or translator he normally would have had to use.

[Shave N Haircut]

"My thanks Monsieur, it's been far too long since we've had any good communication with our neighbors and we felt as if it would be a good idea to get relations straightened out from the grey area they inhabited after the fall of the European Community." she says, opening the door to her office and motioning for him to go inside, "Please, after you, we have much to discuss and I hope that you'd be willing to hear my proposals to bring our nations closer on matters of defense and other such terribly tiresome things." she rolled her eyes a little, but with a smile, "Necessary as they may be."

[Californian]

He would follow her into the room as the conversation continued. "Of course, I did not travel all this way without the intention of listening to your thoughts," he would joke with a laugh. "Defense, trade, and other matters are certainly areas for future cooperation between our nations, what specifically would you wish to propose?" he would say as the discussions were soon underway.

[Shave N Haircut]

She takes a seat at her desk and motions to the one across from her for him to take a seat, "Well, I wish for us to be able to trust each other most of all. We've operated under a Non-Aggression Pact for quite a while now and I think we've confirmed that for the most part our concerns are parallel. We wish to reflect that, possibly in cooperation with Alvonia, with some manner of Defensive treaty, perhaps with some manner of optional cooperation in aggressive action."

 

"But aside from that, Monsieur," The Empress leans forward, "How do you view the present events in Poland?"

[Californian]

Quaeckernaeck would would subconsciously make a small shudder, as if he had seen a ghost, as the Empress talked to him. That was weird... 

 

He would take the seat that was offered to him and respond to the Frenchwoman's proposal. "The non-aggression pact between our nations has certainly withstood the test of time. The Northlands would be interested in closer security ties with France because of the success of this agreement, although I think it would be wise to not strain our newly developing relationship. Having spoken about similar issues with Alvonia, the Northlands would be willing to sign an optional defense, and optional aggression, clause with France for the time being, with the opportunity to elevate this treaty in several months time. This allows both of our nations the maximum amount of flexibility as we learn to work more closely together without committing ourselves to a nation we may not yet fully trust. 

 

The situation in Poland is extremely complex and the Northlands has no desire to be directly involved. We first and foremost support the efforts of our ally the Nordisk Rike in the region, especially in the interest of Baltic security. We also believe that Alvonia has a historical and cultural claim to much of western Poland, especially the areas which were once directly part of Alvonia. We hope a peaceful resolution can be reached amongst all the current parties involved and will take steps to facilitate that if necessary.

 

How does France see the situation in Poland, and any potential involvement on its part?"

[Shave N Haircut]

"Peace is France's priority. We are a people with a storied history of conflict but we have seldom involved ourselves in a conflict that was not in the interest of creating lasting stability and greater freedom for people throughout Europe and the globe." The Empress says, "Sure, there are times where the nation has gotten carried away or when we have diverted from that opinion, but we are a nation of ethics. We don't believe that Nordisk or Belarus have the best interests of Poland at heart."

 

She smiles, "I wish to ensure that the people of Poland are treated with dignity and respect and the best chance of that is to get as many of them under the jurisdiction of Director Wilding as possible. He sees the Polish people as equals, not as resources. We don't plan on getting involved on any more than a peripheral level. It's Director Wilding's prerogative, not ours."

[Californian]

"We believe that Alvonia has a claim to historically Alvonian regions of Poland, and should share in the care of Poland and her people. That being said, I believe other nations including Belarus and Hungary-Slovakia also have legitimate claims to other Polish regions, and I don't believe there are plans by either of those nations to subjugate or treat Polish citizens as second-class. However, as both of us prefer a peaceful outcome and don't plan to become directly involved should our allies not be attacked, I think we can agree to disagree on how we view Poland in a perfect world. I'm certainly glad it's far away enough to not directly concern the security status of either of our nations.

 

In the interests of neighborly fraternity, I wish to disclose of several movements by the Northlands and intentions to annex several regions in Europe." He would pull some maps and files from his folder and hand them to the Empress. "As you can see, we've attempted to minimize any impact this would have on France and will notify you of any relevant future changes. I don't know if France intends to expand into surrounding regions or elsewhere, but you will have the full support of the Northlands."

Edited December 26, 2014 by Californian

[Shave N Haircut]

"We plan on expanding back into Switzerland of course, and in the future I'll be moving troops to Sardinia, all of my staff have been notified of the plans but we've simply not done it yet." she shrugs, "I appreciate the disclosure though, of course. As for Poland, I should hope that the situation doesn't escalate. Though they've given no indication their history and rhetoric can't be ignored either, which is what I'm watching for."