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North Chicanan state visit to Neoplanta; Talks in Montenegro
Topic Started: Jul 11 2011, 02:10 PM (710 Views)
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President Szél, together with a number of government officials, was at Tivat International Airport, awaiting his distinguished guests from North Chicanan to arrive. The airport was decorated by Northern and Neoplantan national flags, while the flag of the Region of Montenegro was also displayed at places. From here, they were to take the presidential train to Butua and the tiny artificial island of Sveti Stefan. The idea was perhaps not very deeply thought through, but they were to "take the islanders to the island". Of the few islands Neoplanta had at sea, this one had been chosen for its special historical significance. The actual intent with this was to show how decentralised and pluralistic a nation Neoplanta is - Urbs Neoplanta having just last week been a host city to the reigning monarchs of Monaco-Ville-Nice, to meet the Northern delegation there would have been considered in bad taste by most Neoplantans.
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President Fillweed and Miss Clementine were onboard Northern One, the main airliner for the government, on their way to Tivat International inside Neoplanta. The President was to experience his first state visit and he was filled with anxiety and excitement.

The visit was to be both busy and enlightening for the leader, his longtime girlfriend and for the twelve officials who tagged along as support staff for the trip to Moontenegro. The most pressing issue would be to sign the non-aggression treaty between the two states - a treaty which pleased the Northern government much even though they saw no reason why they would have any issues with Neoplanta. Jason expected the Ukraine to remain a topic of discussion, as he felt both states held similar views on the conflict and the eventual outcome. He had been told by the defense minister the President of Neoplanta was curious about the recent Denmark transfer and was prepared to discuss the transition of Danemark-Chicander as well as the state's governing structure. Further, Jason hoped that talks between him and Szél would shift to cultural exchanges and economic links. The state sought to strengthen their economic position in the region and sought links with friendly states to better develop their trade.

Jason knew the talks between Helene and the Byronmander secretary went rather well...ish, from a policy viewpoint, but as the plane landed he hoped these talks would be far more productive than Davidor or anything in the United Provinces. Upon landing, the President and Aida stepped out to a small cheering crowd of locals as well as the President of Neoplanta and his officials. Disembarking to the National Anthem (which Jason thought was well-played), he shook hands with President Szél and introduced Miss Clementine to the leader.

"Thank you so much for meeting with us. I look forward to our talks and seeing your beautiful country for the first time, President Szél."
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The arriving representatives from Northern Chicanan were first greeted by a mid-height man, wide frame, in his 30s, pale skin, reddish-brown hair; this was President Szél Andor of Neoplanta. Next was a woman in her 40s, a stunning Turkish beauty with long, slightly curly, jet-black hair; this was Prime Minister Sultana Kemal-Bach. The third person to greet them was a tall man with black hair, with a noticeably long and thin nose; this was President Petar Nemanjić of the Region of Montenegro. While Szél welcomed the guests to Neoplanta, Nemanjić welcomed them to Montenegro.

"Pleased to meet you, President Fillweed" - Szél greeted the head of state of North Chicanan - "May I say that it is both a pleasure and a privilege to have you here with us. I do believe we have lots to talk about, and I also believe we won't be doing so here, at this airport" - he said with a smile. "If you follow me, we'll take you to a train, and that will take us to Butua, where we'll take a bus to Sveti Stefan. Needless to say, there is no airport any closer to our destination; also, since we have decided to ban cars last year, we've been putting a lot of work into our public transit system, hence we thought, why not display it?" - he smiled again.
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"I'm very excited to see how well your public transportation is, sir," Jason responded as he followed Szel and the Neoplantan delegation towards their transportation for the next leg of the trip. He and Aida were seated in a plush coach along with the Neoplantan president while his staff were seated in the next car for their trip to Butua. Aida did more speaking than Jason during their train trip, marveling at the Montenegrin countryside as well as the speed and comfort of the train.

Jason was also pleased with the views he and his consort received, and was very interested in what Szél had to say during their trip to Butua about their location for their summit. He was intrigued by the history of the island and was humored the state had chosen to use an island to host a predominately island nation. Jason chose not to discuss politics, both to avoid to be rude to his hosts as well as choosing to allow Szél to begin the discussion at his leisure. Instead, Jason often commented on the different towns between Tivat and Butua, noticing the local charm even from their seats of luxury.

Upon arrival in Butua, the Jason, Aida and President Szél were escorted to a private bus for the remainder of their trip to Sveti Stefan. All three enjoyed coffee and a wide array of pastries on their bus as they went through town towards the created island in the distance.
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As the politicians chatted, the train crossed through the rugged, stony mountains of Montenegro; lush green forests giving way to vast protruding cliffs that form the peeks high above. As they reached Butua, the guests could see for themselves that the town is precisely the Mediterranean resort town they had expected it to be.

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As they reached into the town itself, they could observe the medieval fortress, among other things. The whole architecture of the town is greatly reminiscent on the Venetian Republic, as it was a great influence.

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What was also noticeable in the city was the complete lack of cars. Buses were everywhere, people rode motorcycles and bikes, and being a tourist resort, there was a number of horses to be seen as well.

Then they made their way to Sveti Stefan.

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President Nemanjić spoke some of the island, how there are all these traditions tied to the sea that were also taken on from the Venetians. Each year there are festivities when, in the times before the Kingdom of Montenegro, local leaders would 'marry' the sea, and rocks would be thrown into the sea, to 'make it thrive and grow'. The people of Montenegro had created many small artificial islands as well, the construction of which was usually tied to these same festivities. This island, Sveti Stefan, was built to be a refuge from the Ottoman Turks, who had an anecdotally weak navy. This was in the 16th century; later, the island was a refuge of pirates. Eventually, it became a resort, and a land-bridge was built to better connect it with Butua, which is a few kilometres away, and the rest of Montenegro. This and much more Nemanjić would have told President Fillweed, his wife Aida, and the rest of their guests, but both was the trip short, both was he more eager to let the statesmen talk politics in these turbulent times.

As they arrived at Sveti Stefan and sat at a table looking out at sea from behind the walls and in the shade of a few trees, President Szél asked President Fillweed:
"It was my impression, although we did not speak further of it, that it is your intent to sign with us our standard Non-Aggression Treaty. Now, it is not that we might fear any military action that might in the future come upon us from the side of North Chicanan, but we like to make sure of things. In any case, if we are able to agree on such fundamental things with a nation, such as the mutual respect of national sovereignty and the territorial integrity that stems from it, which are incorporated in this Treaty, only then are we really able to have serious talks on any relevant matter. So now I ask of you your standing in this issue." - Szél looked at Fillweed with a certain seriousness in his eyes, awaiting his reply.
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Jason was most impressed with the architecture of Butua and Sveti Stefan and the knowledge imparted on the area by the Montenegrin president, but their chat was short as they arrived on the island. Aida accompanied President Nemanjić for a short tour of the island while Jason went with President Szél into the chambers, which were set simply and given a clear view of the sea.

"North Chicanan has agreed to sign the non-aggression treaty, as we strongly support in the ideals of national soverignty integrity of states. I had been informed by my First Minister my signature would be needed and I would be more than honored to sign the Non-Aggression Treaty today." Jason was polite in answering the question, while noticing the sternness in Szél's eyes. In Jason's 39 years he had dealt with much pressure within the Social Democrats so he had no issues with firm questioning, but was always a bit curious as to the rational behind it.

Szél was pleased to hear the Northern position, and sent his secretary out to handle press on the signing. It was decided that a simple photo-op handled by the state would be conducted to handle the signing of the treaty, and that further talks would commence after the signing of the treaty. Aida and Nemanjić would return shortly in order to be involved with the signing ceremony.
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As the matter was agreed upon, the presidents went to a hall prepared for the occasion, with members of the press waiting. With flags of both nations displayed behind them, they signed the multiple copies of the document and shook hands, posing for the many cameras.

As this brief formality was behind them, Szél was now certain of the noble intentions of the government of North Chicanan and of their President. Not that he had any mentionable doubts about them before, but now he had it in writing. In the past, Neoplanta was much more isolated from the wider political arena, only recently have they decided that the events in the region demand a more hands-on approach. In earlier decades, even if war was raging between their neighbours, the state was reluctant to even issue a statement. But with the election of President Szél, things changed. However, he was still in doubt had they changed for the better. It takes a lot of time for a foreign policy to make evident its worth, leaving lots of room for doubt.

With some of that doubt scattered to the wind, Szél was now more confident in starting the discussion with President Fillweed.

"You have met President Nemanjić of the Region of Montenegro. He and his cabinet may have no direct say in our foreign policy, but in essence they are the ones who run Montenegro. The same goes for the other Regions, and the City-Regions as well. They all have their own Parliaments, their own Ministers; they collect their own taxes, and have their own budgets. Not that the federal and the regional budgets would be fully disconnected - there is a lot of money circulating between them, in fact - but they are all at full liberty to make their budgets as they see fit. In essence, they are each a country within a country, and the lower administrative divisions, the Counties and the Municipalities, both have similar rights. They have their own legislative powers as well, though laws do not differ significantly; they mostly use this power to regulate taxes.
I'm telling you all this because I'm most interested in how things work in this regard in the North. Would you mind enlightening me?"
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Jason had been curious about the status of Montenegro after Szél introduced President Nemanjić. He had been a bit surprised, but when general discussions began it made a bit more sense - after all, the Northern districts had a similar structure.

"President Szél, North Chicanan operates in a similar manner to your own nation, inasmuch as each of our districts have power divested to them from the government. As part of the peace agreement that refounded the state, each district handles their own internal policy and taxation, while the national government deals with national issues that affect all districts as well as manage the state's military and foreign relations.

Our nation is divided into currently seven districts, each with their own elected Assembly and Premier which oversees District policy. However, the government appoints a Secretary to oversee the Districts and works with the Premiers and Assemblies to make sure District policy does not overextend into national discourse or harm relations between the Districts. This freedom allows for the French-speaking population to maintain their legitimacy that they felt was denied under the old Cana Constitution. It also creates links between the Districts and the State to maintain order and fair governance for all. The Districts are technically under a loose confederation but have invested power in the national government to make decisions and to collect national taxes to manage the day-to-day affairs they have chosen not to oversee.

I'm sorry if it sounds a bit convoluted, our government tends to make more sense with charts and I unfortunately thought not to bring one." Jason smiled to reassure Szél he did know what he was talking about, as all Northern politicians got confused from time to time over just how the state's many layers of government did not crash in on itself under a crazy ponzi scheme. But the system had survived and was approaching it's twentieth anniversary of reestablishment and thrived now, as the Districts were able to manage local affairs while seeding power to the Government over national issues.

"As for the newly acquired Danemark region, they are under territorial rules that will allow them to function as Districts of their own but with more oversight from St. John's. In time, as we informed Byronmandy upon transference, the Districts will be allowed to vote for independence, territorial status or integration into the Dominion. It is only fair to the Danes, Byronmanders and French of the region to dictate their own futures, be it with us on on their own."
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OOC: Then I take it we have a Non-Aggression Treaty in effect. Yay! :D
And do you have a given plan with Danemark? As we lack an actual population to vote in the referendum... I for one would not recommend full integration - someone might yet want to claim that piece of land for a nation.

IC:
"No, from what you are saying, the administrative division of North Chicanan seems clear." - Szél responded to Fillweed's concerns about the potential convolutedness of his words. "So I see there are special government positions created in order to enforce the central government. This seems a wise decision, if it is indeed necessary. We have the Constitutional Court that sees to that all Regional laws are within the parameters specified within the Constitution of the United Republic. This isn't as direct and to the point as having centrally appointed Secretaries, but we've had few problems so far. It's not even timely, if I think about it; the court at times takes ages to revoke a law that is deemed unconstitutional..."

Szél had frowned his forehead, visibly contemplating the Northern practices for a moment, then again concentration on his guest.

"However, it seems to me that Saint John's has good reason to use such security measures. There are ethnic issues, I gather. We've had such in the early days of Neoplanta, but they were the lesser of our problems at the time, notably the Neoplantan Civil War, in which the United Republic was created from the Confederacy of Neoplanta, Transylvania, and Montenegro; this first mostly coinciding with the modern Region of Pannonia.
However, the issues pertaining to ethnicity weren't really a big problem in the consistently multiethnic territories of Neoplanta. It is difficult to find any ethnically pure territories within our borders, nowhere is there a larger concentration of any one ethnicity than 60%. And our choice of Latin as our official language on the national level has also assured that no one ethnicity is to be held above others in the eyes of the state, as Latin is naturally not the mother tongue of any of our citizens. But ofcourse, there are always some incidents.
As for the issue of the status of Danemark, I must commend you government for deciding on such a democratic process. If you do allow the people of Danemark to decide their own future, whatever that decision might eventually be, they are bound to be satisfied with it. Truly, this must be the most prudent course of action. Though I take it that it must be quite odd for the people to be so transferred from one nation to another without much reasoning."
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OOC: My plan is to either have them join dominion or have them become a Free Association, like Aruba and Curacao. I was waiting to see if future states would want it, hence wanting to delay action for a bit, so I'm role-playing on the big board as they are our territory. I may launch Copenhagen as it's own city-state for the big boards as well as here though...so watch this space ;)

IC:

"Oh, the District Minsiter position is not one of security," Jason responded, hoping to clear up confusion." The government established the District Minister position as a means of better connecting the Districts and the national government. Those ministers work with the District Premiers in order to make sure there is some sense of cohesion of policy amongst the territories as well as referring regional issues up the ladder. The Premier remains the head of the District at all times, while the District Minister is more of a government liasion."

"Our conflict from many years ago was not directly a French/English battle, but one on religion, for many ancestors were not Catholic like the French Chicanan population." Jason sighed, as the Long War was always a bit of a sensitive subject. "However, in time we realized a conflict over religion was not right for the people in Chicanada, and we sought to bridge those issues under the St. Marc's Accord to allow the French culture to maintain their independence while also having the French population better integrate with the English population. In the twenty-five years since dominion was established, we have seen those differences bridged quickly and effectively as our state has prospered economically and culturally. While many would think having a French and English nation would breed conflict, the only issue that remains is the establishment of an English-specific district on the West Isle. But stability on the island is far more important to the population than French domination, hence their issues becoming more and more muted.

While English is the dominant language and the language of state, North Chicanan has always been indebted to French culture and language in society and we continue to protect the interests of those with French ancestory, as we plan to in the Danemark territory - be they French, Danish, Byronmander or English."

Jason pondered Szél's final question for a minute - even the Northern government found it odd that Byronmandy would hand over such a territory freely and with little fuss. "From what my State Affairs Minister and the First Minister have reported, Byronmandy in a way lost interest in the dealings of Denmark but wanted to maintain a presence in the north due to the Finnish Reich. They offered Denmark with no conditions outside of sending representatives to the United Provinces for the failed talks, and while I would expect Byronmandy to hold us to task in future conflicts in the region we made clear at the time the Denmark resolution would not influence our state policy in the region. Thankfully the Danish Senate has taken us at our word and the local population has been supportive of the government, as we make sure not to drastically change the nature of the region while making sure the territory functions well within our state's framework.

But to be honest, we've been curious ourselves what the full intent of the transference of Denmark was. However, as both our Assembly and the Byronmander state approved the measure, we have begun the process of properly managing the territory under Northern law, while implementing a free exchange treaty for Byronmanders and Danes to travel to Norway or Byronmandy should they choose. The agreement also includes Northern citizens, and we have seen travel to Algeirs and Davidor increase since the agreement went into effect."
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