Forum on Security and Democracy [ATTN: All]

[Imimoya]

THE EARLY ARRIVAL TIMELINE
Hotel Meeting Room, Tokjin

The two diplomats nodded and intently listened to the President. They had no rebuttal to Zhuan's points and while he paused Jaan focused on what to say next. The very deliberate manner in which the Tianlong man spoke was impressive. Not in an exotic way, but because it felt more like home. When speaking with Frankish for example, there was a lot of extra chatter. As Zhuan finished Jaan was quick and deliberate in how he spoke as well. "I understand your concerns and will be keen to relay them home. I believe that the idea of the Polar Research Base is then settled. Our bureaucrats will take your concerns in mind and we'll have an appropriate location drawn up."

It would be Hillevi-Iida that would work to complete the meeting though, as she felt everything at been accounted for. As the junior diplomat here, she had more leeway to speak more freely and perhaps test the waters. "Metsamaa is keen to come to some agreement between our nations though. Some kind of rough alliance. Would it be safe to say we have the preliminary basis for an undefined alliance of sorts? A basis in which Metsamaa would agree to look out for Tianlong's interests in the North, and Tianlong would look out for Metsamaan interests elsewhere? I want to make clear when I say look out, I mean it in the loosest framework possible."

THE EARLY ARRIVAL TIMELINE
Hotel Meeting Room, Tokjin

The president looks his interlocutor in the eyes before answering, looking for signs to analyze in the face of his host. Was Metsamaa really ready to break away from the rest of the alliance and move against the tide towards the democratic world, risking the wrath of the neighboring Tarusan empire? It was one of the questions she was asking herself. "If our interests coincide, Tianlong will protect Metsamaa." Lingxin responded with a friendly tone, focusing on the shared interests part. "You will find during the forum that our way of doing politics is quite different from that of your neighbors."

 

[Imimoya]

THE MEEATING TIMELINE
Meeting Room, Cultural Center of Tokjin

All the representatives of every single nation present were invited by the staff of the structure to go to the heart of the building. They were led to the huge central room, formerly a theater, converted into a meeting room with a central oval table where the plaques bearing the name of the nation with the flag were placed alongside. The table took up the center of the room, while at regular distances other semicircular positions were created for the staff of the individual political groups. Some brought translators with them, others simply chaperones, however they too would have a place from which to assist.

The staff waited for the individuals represented to take their seats, before returning to their initial position, hidden from the eyes of the guests but always present in case of need. A label from the imperial court that was still present in the buildings of the high political circle in Tianlong.

As host and author of this forum, President of the Republic of Tianlong, Zhuan Lingxin, took the first word. He occupied a position on the side of the table, very different from the 4 axes of the compass. Another way of Tianlong to underline their intention not to set themselves up as leaders, but more to those of stable parther, equal among equals.

"On this occasion it is a pleasure for me to express to the community of representatives of the countries present here the sentiments of friendship that have always characterized the international relations of the Republic of Tianlong. You and your governments, like us, have gathered here, because we have felt the moral value and the need to go around to interrupt the expansionist aims of the nations of the Gothic Pact that threaten international peace.

Today, the bitter lesson of the twentieth century conflict seems to have been forgotten: the aggression against the Hymiar by the Gothic Pact calls into question the very foundations of our international society, starting with peaceful coexistence. It is not a conflict with effects only in the territory that is its theater. The consequences of the war affect everyone. Therefore none of us can feel excluded from it, we are all affected indirectly or directly, as in our case, where 10% of our crude oil and natural gas was subtracted overnight. With oil tankers still stationary in the ports under the control of the occupation forces.

The international community sees heavily put into question the results achieved with difficulty in recent decades. With the resolutions of the European Forum used by the attackers as a means to impose their will, while the resolutions not in their favor, ignored and trampled on.

With clarity and courage it is necessary to put an end to the nonsense of international bullying and war. We must have the courage to promote the reasons for peace, even if this occurs through a new international agreement between free nations gathered here. A renewed international legality must be restored.

With this conviction and in this perspective I leave you the word."

 

[Gran-Occidentia]

Francisco de Rosas stood up at this, Gran-Occidentia had long been a vocal opponent of the Tsar and the Gothic Pact and he was determined that the People's State take a leading role in whatever came of this forum. As such he would be the first to speak, and doing so direct the forum in the direction he chose.

"I agree with much of what our esteemed host has said. We must have courage in our convictions, the real issue is what exactly are our convictions? It seems that many of the governments gathered here are committed to a policy of appeasement. This has failed in the past and will fail in the future if continued, the time for tact and diplomacy are long over we must be decisive and resolute in our actions. We the free nations of the world must form a united front against the rising tide of autocracy.

Of course we should work towards peace but also we must not been seen as weak and afraid of conflict, we must be prepared to as one stare down these imperialist powers resolute in our beliefs and safe in the knowledge that we the free nations of the world are united. To this end I call on the nations gathered to form a international organization dedicated to defending freedom across the world no matter the cost and by any means nessceary, we have at our disposal the might needed create peace we only have to have the will to use it".

 

[Rheinbund]

The Rheinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gustav Kohlschreiber represented a nation that had committed itself to neutrality. The country was a federation, already since its conception in the 10th century. Originally the King of the Rheinbund was not only linked to the principalities and citizenries, but also to the Church. But then the reformation came. 100 years of struggling, and sometimes even full-blown war. The peace of 1648 solved all the disputes. Each memberstate chose its main faith (Catholic, Lutheran or Calvinist); the other faiths were allowed to be practiced, but public life was determined by the main faith. Later on, this was liberalised even further in most memberstates. The main lesson of that period was tolerance: Tolerance for each other's beliefs. The leading principle became "live and let live". And so the Rheinbund became a patchwork of people, ranging from Bramsfelders living according to a very strict interpretation of the Bible via liberal Ripuarians celebrating Catholicism to very liberal Lotharingians living Luther's adagium "Let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger" to the max.

One result of this patchwork was, that the Rheinian government was very hesitant on condemning other countries for their internal politics. The Rheinian government did not criticise countries like Tarusa, the HFE and Csengia for being undemocratic. Democracy was not something that could be imposed; it was something that had to grow from the bottom up. At least that was the thought within the Rheinian government, and had been standing foreign policy since the Rheinbund itself became a democracy. Indeed, many Rheinian citizens were quite to very vocal about Tarusa and the HFE, and there were daily protest actions in front of the embassies of Tarusa, the HFE and the Scanlaw because of the war in Hymiar, but the Rheinian government had not reacted on it yet. Partly because the last coalition negotiations coincided with the war, but also because the government wanted to choose its words carefully.

But now Kohlschreiber had to react.

"First of all, Mr. President Zhuan, I want to thank you for your hospitality in this very beautiful city, and for hosting this forum at this moment in history. I don't think I can add anything to your assessment on the recent behaviour of the two empires in Northern Gallo-Germania. I also have to say that I am quite disappointed about the Scanlaw's role in the current events. Brokering a deal with the two empires to solve the dispute in former Pannonia is one thing, but when the partition of Northern Hymiar is part of that deal, the Scanlaw is playing a nefarious role.
The Rheinbund has never been vocal about Tarusa not being democratic at all and the HFE being democratic only in name, because we don't consider it our role to tell other countries to become democratic. We consider it our role to show that democracy works better than dictatorship, but we don't consider it up to us to tell the Tarusans and the Frankish how to rule their countries.
The Rheinian government has been very silent about the war in Northern Hymiar up to now, but of course we have our opinions. Like I just made clear, it is a leading principle in our foreign politics that we don't tell others how to govern other countries. This also means that we have a problem with it that currently the two empires and the Scanlaw are imposing their systems upon the Northern Hymiari. And we also have a problem with, indeed, the fact that Tarusa and the HFE structurally ignore EF-resolutions that they don't like. With that, they place themselves outside the international community.
However, we have to think a step further. We can kick the two empires and the Scanlaw out of Hymiar, but what is next? Do we have a plan for the aftermath? The two empires and the scanlaw won't stop when they are kicked out of Northern Hymiar. They will put their focus somewhere else. We have to develop plans for that, and we have to be flexible for the case that these three countries do something unexpected."

 

[Jydsken-Østveg]

The tables where the delegates from the various Scanlaw nations sat was complex. Each nation had their own delegation and each delegation had a different opinion on the war and the peace. The problem of course for them was that the only person who was authorized to speak was the Scanlaw's Union representative, the Foreign Minister Saga de la Gardie. She of course had to adopt the formal position of the Government, but at the same time had to balance the various other foreign policy goals of the Union members. She had silently taken the beatings dealt on the chin. Another of her diplomats had briefly spoken to a Pelasgian diplomat about how if the new Himyari Anti-State would be independent or a mere satellite, or at worst a puppet. Her diplomat could not give a straight answer. She was not so sure she could even give a totally straight answer, so she knew she had to keep her answers so brief that they had no complexities, or so verbose and confusing that one could not manage heads from tails from what she said.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to meet you all here today," opened Saga. "As you all know, the Scanlaw is engaged in a conflict in the northern Himyar region. Of course, our efforts there are not different from the actions of many other nations gathered here today. There have been actions of occupation from other nations at this conference that have intervened in ex-mandate regions. Immediately I can point towards the Holy Land and Monterrey as clear examples. The bond that holds us together is the perception of democracy. We all practice it here at different levels, yet this exclusive club has rejected other democracies due to their politics. The Scanlaw stands here at this meeting of some of the greatest democracies on our planet as a complicated case. We are arguably more democratic than any other nation on this planet, yet find ourselves entangled in the alliance politics of our world without other democracies. First and foremost, this is the result of the democratic world's record on appeasement, and the democratic world's failure to work together harmoniously with not only other democracies, but other nations period. The Scanlaw is not a single entity. We are not a homogenous opinion. The democracies of our world insist on collaborative efforts yet shun dissenting opinions. Our bond is still in what democracy is, and the idea that the democratic world must work together against autocracy... against dictatorships. On this the Scanlaw agrees, and believes that this meeting here today can clear the air on the operations in Northern Himyar, and form the basis for which common security policy for the democratic world can be drawn together. Make no mistake, Northern Himyar will be more democratic after the Scanlaw's operations are completed, and the democratic world will benefit from this operation. There are growing pains, but the Scanlaw has the best interests of humanity in mind. I'd lastly like to thank our hosts for allowing our Union a seat at this table, and will firmly state that the Union members here with me have the ability to respond directly, but will not make statements on their own accord. Thank you."

 

[Imimoya]

Lingxin switched on the microphone after the Scanlaw rep spoke.
"Ladies and gentlemen of Scanlan, I would like to remind you that your presence here is a demonstration of the free nations not to close all the doors to dialogue. Nonetheless, the position of the Republic of Tianlong regarding your actions in the Hymiar is as clear and firm as the North Star that guided the ancient navigators. We condemn your barbaric and imperialist act. Therefore, please do not use this opportunity offered to you to justify yourself in the face of the world or to validate your position.

Respectable Minister of Foreign Affairs Gustav Kohlschreiber, I understand the strength of the feelings that animate your words, but I am forced to remind you of the reality of the facts. At present, the north of the Hymiar is lost, Tianlong has already given way to some policies to contain the influence of the Gothic pact in the area, hoping to buy time before the next provocation by the opposing forces. We have the task, today, to think of a longer-term plan, an agreement, which limits the opponent's ability to provoke in the medium-long time. Discussing Himyar's liberation could be seen as aggression and further worsen the delicate situation in the area."

 

[Rheinbund]

After the Tianlongese president was finished speaking, Kohlschreiber turned his microphone on again.

"I'm awfully sorry Mr. President, but I'm afraid I have to take some confusion away. I did not suggest to try to liberate Northern Hymiar. Instead, I was reacting on Minister De Rosas's words, who indicated that we have to take a stronger stance against countries that deliberately invade other countries. Indeed, I mentioned the possibility to force the two empires out of Northern Hymiar, but not as a proposal to do so, only to indicate that, IF we do so, we also must have plans for the aftermath at hand."

OOC: One question. @Tianlong , what is your president's family name, and what is his given name? You write Zhuan Lingxin, but is Zhuan his family name, or Lingxin? I know that in China the family name comes first, so that is the reason for my confusion.

 

[Josepania]

THE EARLY ARRIVAL TIMELINE
Hotel Meeting Room, Tokjin

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The Josefino delegation was the latest to arrive in Tianlong, perhaps in a bizarre mentality of 'saving the best for last,' which would have been an objectively debatable claim amongst non-Josefino entities, to put it as charitably as possible. Nonetheless, the gravitas and dignity, amplified by the stereotypically flashy and loud fashion emanating from El Presidente José David Constanza as he entered the hotel could be ignored by no-one. Dressed in his stark-white linen business suit complete with hat, the Josefino Presidential sash of red, gold, and purple draped over his shoulder providing a striking splash of color and accentuating his Occidental tan, it was eccentricity and pompous self-importance at its finest.

In other words, typical and expected for a man such as El Presidente.

He was accompanied by his Foreign Secretary, Demetrio Verdugo, whose attire of a simple charcoal grey business suit was far more muted and subtle compared to his boss, which was purposeful. While Secretary Verdugo would probably do most of the serious negotiating and at minimum provide meaningful advisement to the Head of State and Government of San José for the majority of the meeting, eyes were meant to be on El Presidente whenever and wherever possible, and when they strayed, they'd be dragged back onto him as soon as possible whether they wanted to or not. Vice President Gabriel Morales would manage affairs back at home while El Presidente was away, so in short nothing really changed since unofficially the Vice President tended to do most of the actual governing anyway.

Yes, this meeting was theoretically about the democratic world finally hammering out a coherent, unified strategy to counteract the rampant imperialism, rise of autocracy, and breakdown of the world order as had previously existed, but for San José, and specifically for El Presidente, it was about prestige and being part of something important and spreading the fame and/or infamy of San José and El Presidente. If a few more followers were acquired on Twatter, that in itself was good enough.

 

[Josepania]

THE MEETING TIMELINE
Hotel Meeting Room, Tokjin

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"Señores y Señoras, tengo una pregunta."

The question came, without much introduction and warning, from the Josefino representatives, and more specifically El Presidente, who to this point had been observing the beginnings of the discussion unfolding in the Forum with uncharacteristic silence. Now, though, that void was being fulfilled, in the most dramatic way possible.

"Before we begin to talk about the idea of a grand military alliance of democratic nations, do we fully accept @Skånskelag as hermanos y hermanas en armas, or as colaboradores to the autocratic, neo-colonial imperialist agenda of the Global Exploitation Conspiracy? Are the Scanians themselves even united in this regard?"

El Presidente looked to Foreign Minister Saga de la Gardie, neutral in his gaze, "I do not intend to slight you, or your delegation señora ministra, as you have been frank and honest in your opening statement. After all, you correctly acknowledge you are not a singular, homogenous entity. You rightfully point out that the democratic world has shunned dissenting opinions in the past, which resulted in the situation we find ourselves in today. Both of these statements are true. But, as such, allow myself to be frank and honest in mine. Does the Scanlaw actually wish to be part of a grand, military alliance opposed to autocratic neocolonial imperialism, the same autocratic neocolonial imperialism it is even now taking part in? Or, if there are dissenting opinions within the Scanlaw, will they stubbornly refuse to work harmoniously with the majority, thus further exacerbating the lack of cohesion? Let us take this question one step further: if the Scanlaw dissents with the majority opinion of the hypothetical grand, military alliance, will it stubbornly refuse to work harmoniously with that majority? That is my fear, señora ministra, and I pray you can prove my fears and the fears of those assembled here wrong. The burden of proof is on you, señora ministra, because like it or not you are also currently part of the reason why we are here today, and why our trust, though enough to invite you to take part, is nonetheless strained for reasons you can understand."

He then turned back to those gathered, "Let me say this: similarly to the Tianese, San José does not condone and in fact condemns the Scanian expedition in Northern Himyar. However, in the name of pragmatism and recognizing the greater evil that is the Global Exploitation Conspiracy, San José is also willing to acknowledge and accept the lesser evil by accepting this fait accompli and hope that Scanian intervention is a blessing in disguise rather than a poisoned fruit. Provided, however, that the Scanians commit to this grand military alliance we are proposing here, and commit to whatever fight that is to come to contain, suppress, and ultimately defeat the imperialist, neocolonialist, autocratic forces of the Global Exploitation Conspiracy. I repeat my opening question to you all, not just the Scanians: do we fully accept the Scanlaw as hermanos y hermanas en armas, or as colaboradores, to the autocratic, neo-colonial imperialist agenda of the Global Exploitation Conspiracy?"

El Presidente then paused once more, before announcing: "San José answers that, if their intentions are true, and they are committed to our cause, they are the former."

 

[Hanseatic Republics]

The Meeting Actual Timeline
Hotel Meeting Room, Tokjin

The Metsamaans sat next to the Scanlaw, but did have a very clearly drawn up division from the rest of the Scanlaw. Perhaps this was due to their earlier meeting with Tianlong. Perhaps this was preordained by the delegates. Maybe even something done at the last second as an attempt to show a clear difference with the rest of the Scanlaw. Nobody seated at the conference knew for sure. Jaan Anton Pärn was keenly observing the words spoken and was as usual purposely silent. He did decide to try make a very sharp point at the end of the celebrity President, "El Presidente's" speech.

"Thank you to our hosts and thank you for the other delegation's wise words and opinions. I must lean myself towards the thoughts of our host, Mr. Zhuan. The Scanlaw is engaging in an imperial business, which will have long term consequences for the democratic world, and the Scanlaw itself. This Forum on Democracy and Security cannot find itself with one foot in each side of the debate. We condemn the actions in Northern Himyar as a mistake of history and one that the North will not recover from soon. Metsamaa urges our colleagues in the Scanlaw to realize this mistake and correct it. Metsamaa cannot stand for blatant imperialism. Its ideology is not compatible with with our post-delegationist world. Post-delegationism and democracy come hand-in-hand, and neither can be adopted from the barrel of a gun, but through the free liberty and desire of an enlightened people."

 

[Pelasgia]

"I must agree with my colleagues from the Rheinbund and the Tianlong Republic," said Alexandros Metaxas, who was positively surprised by the two countries' frankness. "Democracy is not a religion but a system of government; and a crusade in the name of democracy is as illegitimate as any other crusade, being naught but an act of savage imperialism. Thus, I must echo what my colleague from the Rheinbund had to say in that our goal should be to preserve peace and the rules-based international order, not to create some kind of ideological empire. After all, we all have different opinions of what true democracy consists of--and there is no objective standard by which any one of us can proclaim their nation to be the paragon of democracy. Credit is due to our colleagues from Metsamaa for recognising this, despite their attachment to the Scanlaw.

"On that note, our most effective means of bringing about a peaceful world free from war and international bullying, for lack of a better term and as very aptly put by my colleague from Tianlong, is rather simple, as I will illustrate momentarily. Honourable colleagues, in Pelasgia, bullying is rare; and that is not because we are angels, but because Pelasgian schoolchildren have a tradition of ganging up on bullies and beating them en masse, often while student prefects look the other way. I say, unpleasant as this is, it is our only option: we must all, collectively, gang up on any who commit the crime of aggression against another nation--or who openly prepare or threaten to do so--and we must thus force the 'bully' to come to the negotiating table.

"Does country A send a fleet off country B's coasts to force it to do X or Y when it has no legitimately pressing reason to require that? Then we must send an even bigger fleet and force A to seek redress of its grievances through proper channels, such as those of the EF. Does country C invade country D in clear violation of the EF's rules? Then we must all support D--either openly, through an intervention, or indirectly, though support, materiel provision, loans, resupplying, humanitarian aid, sanctions, and any other meaningful measure. That, honourable colleagues, is Pelasgia's position. I will not comment on whether we should go to war here and now; as my colleague from the Rheinbund noted, we must make preparations before coming up with a plan. What I do aim to convey, however, is that our plan should have a clear objective, as should our alliance; and that objective should be to unify the forces of the democratic world in order to defend individual countries from the piecemeal imperialism of the vultures of this world.

"With renewed thanks to the Tianlong Republic for so graciously hosting us, I yield the floor."​

 

[Radilo]

THE MEEATING TIMELINE
Meeting Room, Cultural Center of Tokjin

Prime Minister Lacé adjusted her microphone. Behind her, in his full red silk and fur regalia, sat the Doge. He wore the gold and jewel encrusted Corno Ducal, an ironically monarchal looking headress that had none the less come to symbolize republicanism and democracy. Next to the Doge was the Red Party leader/Foreign Minister, who, while not in baroque cosplay, dressed with a certain sharpness that fashionable Meridian men were known for.

She looked as boring and as frumpy as she could, in a somewhat wrinkled canary yellow pantsuit. The choice of color may have been symbolic, or it might not have, but the framing was very much symbolic. That of the three of them, she was speaking--she was in charge. The grey haired, frumpy, old, and over educated, woman was in charge, because she led the party that got the most votes. She was Prime Minister, and they weren't.

"The past is in the past. It only matters what happens today, what happens tomorrow. Everyone here knows of our willingness, eagerness, to take on refugees... but today we will discuss the fate of those who want to stay in their homeland. This has nothing, by itself, to do with just violence. But here we are because of our inaction, our collective inaction. The Mandate system didn't work, the post-Mandate system did not work. This is not working," she said slamming her hand on the desk--an extremely rare show of emotion, that visibly Startled the Doge and Foreign Minister. "One point one million, out of a population of less than ten million. More than one in ten citizens of la Serenìsima are refugees."

She took a long pause, "do not listen to those in your own nations who say refugees are a burden--they are the opposite. Hard working, eager, and strong. They have been a boon to us. I say is because we all know that we will need to take in many of these refugees in the comming months and years."

She took another pause, "in Perast, on my home island of Cattaro, I was speaking to my constituents, many of whom are now refugees, they tell me about how much they love la Serenissima. They then look away, often sighing, saying they wish they could go back--but that they can't. Their home is gone. It's hard to blame them. They say that being a refugee is to always be conflicted torn between where you are and where you your home was."

She then glanced over to the @Scanlaw delegation, "to say nothing of the dead. It does not matter what you did--it now only matters what you do going forward. Abandon this colonial project and rejoin the ranks of civilized nations."

Looking towards @Tianlong President Zhuan Lingxin, "President Zhuan, thank you for hosting this," she turned to face no one in particular. "I am afraid, though, that the democratic world might, as our Meridian friends have suggested, be required to arm itself in an urgent and collective way."

 

[Imimoya]

Zhuan Lingxin knew, or rather, had noticed the intentions of several leaders to take the discussion to other topics. Arguments he would have liked to investigate himself in better circumstances, certainly not in an "emergency" meeting of Democratic leaders. Meaating which stated in response to an attack by the Gothic pact on a netral country. Circumstances don't allow him much time, so some of the leaders' speeches were at least ignored with some distance of interest by the president himself.

The president waited once again for all the leaders to have finished their speech, before giving the order to his staff with a wave of his hand, to distribute a dossier to each individual leader, containing a document of a treaty already containing a signature, that of the president of Tianlong himself, Zhuan Lingxin.

"I am sure we will find better time and places to discuss the issues raised by some of the leaders here. For example, I believe that the management of the migratory flow is an excellent topic for the European Forum, as is the acknowledgment of the guilt of the individual participants in the war unleashed by the Gothic Pact in Northern Himyar.

This forum, unlike, has a very specific purpose, that of responding to a crisis that has rained upon us. I have this for my team to issue a treaty to which I have already signed and which I hope will not be alone at the end of the day. Now I leave you the time to consult and annalize the treaty, while my staff and I remain at your complete disposal for questions."

Spoiler: CETO

The States which join this Treaty declare themselves determined to safeguard the freedom of their peoples, their common heritage and their civilization, based on the principles of democracy, individual freedoms and the rule of law. They are determined to join their efforts in collective defense and for the safeguarding of peace and security. Therefore, they adhere to the present Central European Treaty Organization, known as CETO.

Article 1

The parties undertake, as discussed in the Forum on Security and Democracy, to mediate by peaceful means any international dispute in which they may be involved, so that international peace and security and justice are not endangered, and to resort to use of force only when all other diplomatic means have become impracticable or the existence and independence of the member countries themselves is threatened.

Article 2

The parties undertake to promote and develop peaceful and friendly relations, strengthening their free institutions, fostering a better understanding of the democratic principles on which these institutions are founded, and promoting conditions of stability and well-being within the CETO organization.

Article 3

In order to achieve the objectives of this Treaty more effectively, the parties, acting individually and jointly, will maintain and increase their individual and collective capacity to resist an armed attack, periodically agreeing with a 3/4 majority on defense policies.

Article 4

The parties will consult whenever, in the opinion of either part, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of one of the parties is threatened.

Article 5

The parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them will be considered as a direct attack against all the parties, and consequently agree that if such an attack occurs, each of them, in the exercise of the right of self-defense, individual or collectively, it will assist the party or parties thus attacked by immediately taking, individually and in concert with the other parties, the action it deems necessary, including the use of armed force.

Article 6

For the purposes of art. 5, an armed attack against one or more of the parties means an armed attack:

• against the territory of one of them;
• against the forces, ships or aircraft of one of the parties, which are on these territories or in any other region they are on mission at the request of the host country.

Article 7

Each party declares that it has no active disputes or territorial disputes active and pending at the time of accession and signature of the treaty.

Article 8

Each party declares that none of the international commitments currently in force between it and another party or a third state is in contradiction with the provisions of this Treaty and undertakes not to enter into any international commitments contrary to this Treaty.

Article 9

By this provision the parties establish an assembly, in which each of them will be represented to examine questions relating to the application of this Treaty, in particular the measures to be taken for the application of Articles 3 and 5.

Article 10

The parties may, by 3/4 agreement, invite any other State capable of favoring the development of the principles of this Treaty and contributing to the security of free nations to accede to this Treaty. Any State thus invited can become a party to the Treaty by depositing its instrument of accession at the CETO Assembly.

Article 11

Treaty , written in all languages used by its members, with a unanimous vote, may be subject to revision, taking into consideration the factors that may at that moment affect the peace and security of the CETO.

 

[Josepania]

THE MEETING TIMELINE
Hotel Meeting Room, Tokjin

El Presidente sulked in silence as the proposed treaty for the creation of the Central European Treaty Organization was passed around to those assembled. He did not appreciate having the meeting being railroaded and his speech essentially ignored, which was worse than the counter raised by the Metsamaans, because they at least acknowledged his lofty speech of letting bygones be bygones. But it certainly didn't help that both they and the Radilans weren't interested in letting things go with the Scanian neocolonialism. Not that he was thrilled about it either, but he figured there'd be more openness to compromise and pragmatism. That was clearly not the mood here, and he was irritated he had misjudged this.

Therefore it was Foreign Secretary Verdugo who took primary interest in looking over the treaty, with President Constanza only making a half-hearted show in reviewing the document. It was ultimately a solid treaty, one that San José had no unilateral objections to, but the problem was Article 7. San José's regional partners in Corrientes and Gran Occidentia were currently in the midst of a dispute over Monterrey, and until that was resolved it was not legally possible for them to be involved in this organization, a scenario El Presidente was not planning for. Technically, he reasoned this also excluded the Scanlaw as a whole, given the current dispute between the militias, which would make this meeting even more complicated.

Therefore, after a quick conference with his Foreign Secretary, Verdugo leaned forward to the microphone and stated, "At this time, San José has no objections to this treaty. Should the other representatives here find themselves also in agreement with the treaty as presented, we are interested in signing it."

San José wasn't willing to commit yet, not before it figured out what Scanlaw would do and, therefore, what options were available for Gran Occidentia and Corrientes. Without its two Occidentian brother nations, El Presidente wasn't as eager joining these other democracies in their fight against the Global Exploitation Conspiracy, for the simple reason that it didn't trust them, not as much as its regional partners.

 

[Pelasgia]

"We find this treaty, as proposed by the Honourable Mr. Zhuan Lingxin, to be an excellent idea which addresses all the points our delegation made in its initial address," said Foreign Minister Metaxas, after having taken some time to properly examine the document. "However," he noted, after his subordinate passed him a note. "We wonder what other delegations' opinions would be on introducing a minimum defence spending goal as a percent of GDP or annual budget. After all, we must all contribute to common defence, and we must prevent a tragedy of the commons of sorts, or an arrangment by which certain nations' defensive capacities atrophy so much that they become dependent on larger alliance members."

"The Union will accede to the treaty as proposed with or without such a mechanism, and we are more than ready to shoulder our own part of the common burden--but we nonetheless believe that a discussion on such an amendment might be warranted."​

 

[Imimoya]

It was Zhuan Lingxin himself who spoke in response to the Pelasgian delegation. "Your observation is a very good suggestion, but our members who drafted the agreement felt that this decision can be taken by the assembly with a vote of 3/4, instead of inserting a fixed minimum threshold in the organizational charter, that in the event of a change this parameter, it will require a unanimous vote."

 

[Hanseatic Republics]

Foreign Minister Pärn found this all quite difficult to figure out. He wanted Tianlong's support for Metsamaa's independence campaign but he wasn't sure if current obligations to the Gothic Sea Pact would clash with CETO. He whispered to Hillevi-Iida on the subject. *"Do you believe we are even able to commit to this with out current obligations?"* She shrugged, whispering back, *Does it matter? We could just accept and leave Parliament and the future President to figure out if it does or does not.*"

Jaan tilted his head looked off into the space of things for a brief moment and nodded. He then addressed the other delegates, "Metsamaa believes that this treaty is acceptable, but must stress that while we the diplomats can commit, our President is going through a recall election and our Parliament also holds the right of veto. No doubt they will involve legal scholars and speak to our friends, neighbors, and allies. As such, if a strong committal is necessary, Metsamaa may require future meetings on the subject."

 

[Jydsken-Østveg]

The Meeting Actual Timeline
Hotel Meeting Room, Tokjin

Saga looked over the CETO Treaty text and noticed Article 7 as a part of the text clearly placed there to serve as a gatekeeper. Tianlong could in theory gate-keep, any nation wishing to accede to the treaty by using Article 7 in as flexible way as desired. The Scanlaw's battles in Hajr and Al-Magrab could be used, but so could militias fighting between themselves in the far arctic over nothing. Similarly, the conflict in Monterrey could be used to gate-keep the South Westernesse nations, but they could also be ignored as problematic while not providing the same definition to the Scanlaw.

However, this was the beginning. So anything kept out now would set solid precedent. Additionally, anyone allowed now could be excused away as a founding member. Diplomacy is flexible when it wants to be. The question was just how flexible Zhuan Lingxin actually was. Her gut feeling told her that he would not be flexible.

Furthermore, what was happening back home was not simple either. From militias to the term grand moot-lite being thrown around she did not even know what would happen. Government instability was the norm in the Scanlaw over the last year, which perhaps was normal in a more polarized world with higher stakes than the Scanlaw as an entity was even accustomed to. Saga herself also did not want to alienate the Holy Frankish Empire. They were a bit of a life line and the new diplomatic closeness that had recently opened was something she wanted to help nurture. Perhaps working with CETO, she could prevent CETO from being anti-HFE. CETO was looking more and more like a slot machine in her mind, and obviously the house was likely to win. Should she pull the lever anyway just to see? Such gambling was prevalent on the ferries that crossed the Gothic Sea, and she once played hoping to lose all her Metsamaan currency on the journey back home. Instead of losing all of her Marks, she just came home with more Marks. Maybe that was the luck of the gambler who played to lose.

Saga decided to ultimately keep her mouth shut as much as possible. Leave as much room for maneuver as possible. If somebody specifically addressed the Scanlaw she'd respond, or perhaps if someone addressed one of the individual member states they'd respond. She was not sure what was on their minds, and they would obviously be more in-tune with their leaders who were present at the grand moot-lite. Until then, she'd awkwardly walk along the same line that El Presidente did.

She addressed the room, "The Scanlaw is currently in agreement with the treaty as presented, and we are interested in signing it." Her own words mirrored the Islanders nearly word for word.

 

[Imimoya]

"Ladies and gentlemen, your keen interest in signing the CETO charter is admirable, but it should be noted that some do not comply with the requirements of the same document." The President of the Republic of Tianlong, Zhuan, spoke again. "Therefore, I believe it is time to talk about the elephant in the room. The Scanlaw invasion of Himyar and the Gothic Sea Pact agreements are currently the main problems for the nations involved. CETO was born as a response to the armed actions of the GSP against the territories of Hajr and Al-Magrab, actions which have destabilized world peace and the safety of navigation of the southern routes. The CETO cannot be allowed to arise with the silent validation of such acts. Having said that, we would like to know what the Gothic Sea Pact includes as well as the demands and duties of its members before the nations involved in it sign the CETO agreement. Your signature on this document is a clear commitment made to the other signatory nations. Signing the document, knowing that you are not respecting one of the articles, relieves the Central European Treaty Organization from its defense obligations towards you.

Now i respond to the doubt of the representatives of Metsamaa, no agreement is valid until the respective bodies in charge ratify it. This also applies to Tianlong, our parliament will have to approve this agreement, which is obvious given the bipartisan support within the Legislative Yuan."

The president had turned off the microphone again. All those glances between the members of Scanlow and San Jose, all with a more or less relevant problem within their territories, ready to tear them apart from inside and outside. Lingxin had pointed out the problem, now he was curious to see how they tried to get around the problem. Would Scanlaw decide to withdraw from the Hymlar campaign in exchange for joining the CETO? Are San Jose and its partners capable of reaching a peace agreement before signing in Tokjin?

 

[Radilo]

THE MEEATING TIMELINE
Meeting Room, Cultural Center of Tokjin

"Why was this document not circulated earlier?" Prime Minister Lacé said to Foreign Minister Barnapola, with a not-so-subtle tinge of frustration in her hushed voice.

"There is, presently, a major breakdown in trust, with the Scanlaw being here..."

"--then why the fuck where they invited?"

"They wanted to look inclusive. They didn't want to start shit with the Gothic Sea; this was their placation. That's why they sprung it. If the Gothics knew about it, they would try to stop it. As it presently stands, however, they're occupied elsewhere, and the Scanlaw finds its balls in a vice grip."

"You seem to have a lot of confidence in Zhuan. I hope you're right."

"So do I. And now we have to meow for the dragon whose lap we're sitting on."

"I'll give the Scanlaw a moment to respond before announcing our full support. Text Maria and the opposition leaders. I'm anticipating unanimous consent in the Senate."