The New Status Quo [Attn: Pelasgia]

[Oneida]

You must be registered for see images

October 22, 2018
​

Lord Themistoklīs Notaras of Hagios Demetrios
Chancellor of the Pelasgian Empire
Propontis, Pelasgia

Dear Chancellor Notaras,

Allow me to congratulate you, albeit it late, on the conclusion of the horrible civil war that plagued the good people of Pelasgia and the recent electoral victory that brought a new sense of peace and prosperity to the people of the empire.

These developments in Pelasgia have been seen as holistically positive. While our two countries certainly have their disagreements and cultural differences that perhaps our peoples cannot reconcile, I do believe that our governments and shared ambitions of the future can find common ground. The world is certainly tumultuous and the path forward is blurry, at best. It is my sincerely held belief that Pelasgia and Auraria are uniquely positioned to guide the world into a place that is more peaceful and cooperative than the current world we find ourselves in.

It is under this intent that I request that Rodrigo Ferreiro, Minister of External Affairs for the Republic, travel to the Pelasgian Empire to meet with his equivalent, the Honorable Emmanouīl Avgīros to begin a summit between our two countries with the intent of finding commonality and shared purpose for the future.

Should your government find this to be favorable, I will make the arrangements promptly. I do hope to hear your positive response.

All the best,

Manuel H. Sanabria
President of the Republic
Solis, Auraria

 

[Pelasgia]

You must be registered for see images

Pelasgian Empire
Imperial Chancellery
Office of the Lord Chancellor
​

From: Office of the Lord Chancellor of the Pelasgian Empire, Propontis, Optimatoi
To: Presidency of the Aurarine Republic, Solis, @Auraria
Date: 24 October 2018
Subject: Re: The Communiqué of October 22nd, 2018
Classification: Β1 - Confidential - Most Rapid

To the attention of the His Excellency, the President.

Honourable Sir,

I would first like to thank you for your congratulations as well as for your heartfelt and true concern for the prosperity of Pelasgia and her people. To this I return my most sincere wishes for the future prosperity of your own native land.

Despite the cultural and political differences that divide our two countries, of which there are many and of quite some substance, I do not think that our division by the Long Sea should limit us to mutual indifference and skepticism. I salute your initiative to call for the strengthening of our ties, a move which I shall admit has been on the mind of our government as well. Our nations might be different, but they are certainly great, and together they can use their considerable clout as major powers to build a better and more stable future for Europe.

The Right Honourable Minister Rodrigo Ferreiro would be quite welcome to visit our country and to meet with the Empire's own Minister of External Affairs as soon as possible. You can rest assured that Propontis has quite sufficient facilities to host the talks while providing the famed Long Sea hospitality to Mr. Ferreiro. Our own Minister is ready to meet as soon as possible. Therefore I eagerly await your response, so that meaningful and in-depth discussion of our common interests and our joint future can take place as soon as possible.

Be pleased to receive the warmest wishes of His Imperial Majesty, who has asked me to extend this greeting to you as a fellow Head of State.

Signed and sealed,

Νοταρᾶς Θεμιστοκλῆς τοῦ Ἰσιδώρου

Themistoklīs Notaras, son of Isidо̄ros
Chancellor of the Pelasgian Empire
Lord of the City of Hagios Demetrios and of the Surrounding Territories thereof
Knight of the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle
Knight of the Order of Saint Sabbatian the Great
Senator by Right of Noble Birth

Χαῖρε Ἅγιε Γεώργιε, ἱερομάρτυρ δρακοκτόνε!​

 

[Oneida]

Ferreiro rubbed his eyes on the plane, leaning his head against the window. After a long sigh, he looked out the window to see the morning sun reflecting off the Long Sea. The flight from Solis to Propontis was not long and the Minister of External Affairs certainly traveled in luxury, but Ferreiro couldn’t help but feel himself trapped in a steel tube. It gave him a certain sense of discomfort. His complete inability to sleep the night prior certainly wasn’t helping.

He looked from the window of the plane to the body to see his staff furiously jotting notes and throwing papers at each other like wild animals. Cultural norms, cultural mores, historic briefings, ultimately working on the creation of a quick 5 bullet point memo on what is and not appropriate. Another part of the plane was frantically trying to condense the objectives that Marisela laid out into a digestible, clear agenda to present to the Pelasgians.

They believed, as did many in Marisela, that there was so much riding on this meeting that any error would be detrimental to global peace. Ferreiro was of a different opinion. Being the Principal of the External Affairs Ministry offered him some comfort in not having to frantically put together briefing materials and do background research on a time crunch – and he certainly had a trust in his staff to accomplish the task. Naturally, of course, it was Ferreiro however that had to make it all work.

Despite the pressure, Ferreiro was surprisingly calm. His uneasiness came from the spirit of the negotiations themselves, not the perceived difficulty. Pelasgia is a great power along the Long Sea that needed its ego stroked before any meaningful conversation could be had. Ferreiro thumbed through the letter that the Pelasgians responded with, constantly coming back over the phrase “differences of which there are many and of quite some substance.”

“What does that mean?” Ferrerio asked his staff when he first read the letter in Solis. While certainly anyone with any sense of politics could likely sufficiently guess at the answer – Ferreiro was not given such a luxury. He needed to know what differences uncomforted the Pelasgians. This was a country that was routinely holding vigils to pray for the people of Auraria that were governed by “perverts and sexual deviants.” While the Government claims independence, the Ecumenical Patriarchate did damn the souls of anyone loyal to the Aurarine Government.

“There will be no compromise,” Ferreiro thought to himself. Auraria would not sacrifice any social progress to appease the conservative hill people in Pelasgia, the subject would not be brought up and if it was, it was to be quickly dismissed. There were bigger problems, and Ferreiro was prepared to bring Pelasgia to the table.

“Don Minister,” an aid said “We are 35 minutes from Propontis, would you like to go over your materials?”

“Yes,” he replied, strapping his seatbelt.

 

[Pelasgia]

As the Aurarine government's plane touched down at the VIP section of Propontis International Airport, the exiting dignitaries were greeted by their Pelasgian equivalents, headed by the Pelasgian Minister of External Affairs, Emmanouīl Avgīros. An honour guard composed of soldiers, sailors and airmen in ceremonial uniforms stood in attention as a military band played the anthems of both countries, and following these formalities, the two delegations boarded luxury cars provided by the Pelasgian government.

Under a police escort, the motorcade entered Propontis proper through the Selymbria-Propontis National Highway, reaching the

You must be registered for see links

, a luxurious building located on the Hill of Paradeisos, a lush, protected area on the wealthy outskirts of the Propontine metropolis. The building itself was built entirely of stone in the traditional Propontine style, the likes of which could be seen in most buildings of the pre-19th century city, being notable for its sharp arches supported by pillars and the large roofs which extended well beyond the walls of that supported them. Amidst the songs of birds and the quiet hilltop breeze of the area, the meeting could take place peacefully and way from prying eyes, particularly those of the media.

The delegations were seated across from each other in two large table at the centre of the Palace's great hall, a spacious and tall orthogonal room covered in wood. Each delegate had an some bottled water, a placard with his or her name, a small microphone and a little flag of his country in front of him. Each side also had a projector and a screen behind it in case they were needed. Around the men were posted the secial bodyguards of the Central State Security Service, as well as various uniformed servants trained in the traditional Pelasgian ways of courtesy but also drilled in the Gallian fashion to be more accommodating to the guests. Once all those attending were seated and minor formalities were taken care of, the doors were closed, and the meeting could begin.

"First of all, I would like to begin by welcoming our guests. Mr. Ferreiro, I hope that your flight was sound, and that you and all your compatriots have been comfortable so far. Even if it has not been so, I promise you that in but a couple of hours we shall deliver you a banquet that will surely make up for any inconvenience," Minister Avgīros said. "Now then, since it was our honourable partners from Auraria that took the initiative to ask for this meeting, I will do them the courtesy of allowing them to first outline their hopes for this meeting and their own negotiating agenda, before we do so for our own. In any case, I am certain that despite the differences between our two countries, we shall be able to focus more on what unites us, or what could unite us, than what sets us apart, and that we could thus, with time, perhaps bridge our differences too."

 

[Oneida]

Minister Ferreiro nodded at the conclusion of Minister Avgīros’s greeting. He looked to his left and to his right, at the Aurarine delegation in Pelasgia.

“Minister Avïrgos,” he began – followed closely by his interpreter “Please send my thanks to Chancellor Notaras for accepting President Sanabria’s request for this meeting. It is an honor to be in Propontis, in a building as beautiful and historic as the Palace of Saint Despoina, to represent my people in the Republic of Auraria. Not to mention, all the wonderful stories I’ve heard about Pelasgian cuisine – I am certainly looking forward to trying it for myself.”

Minister Ferreiro had paused for a moment, before he continued to speak. He couldn’t help but think about the political discourse of Pelasgia and Auraria. Pelasgia’s civil war, in truth, had been a horrible disappointment to the Aurarines. Tyrants exchanging hands at the cost of the peoples’ lives. A new nationalist government had taken control that Ferreiro and Sanabria’s Government believed would do very little to correct the tensions in Pelasgia. For days now, the Pelasgian Religious Leaders have been organizing vigils and prayers for the “victims” of Auraria’s social progression. When his plane landed in Pelasgia, he could feel in the air how far in the past the country was. Still, having Pelasgia has a partner far outweighed a nonconsequential moral argument that the Aurarian Left have also sought to win.

“I do not believe the words I share are new to anyone in this room,” the Minister continued “Pelasgia and Auraria are two different countries, with histories strongly linked to the Tiburan Empire and its Catholic Church that remains…but in paths entirely different. However, I find that more things unite Auraria and Pelasgia than divide us.”

The Minister paused, allowing for the interpreter to catch up.

“My Government is of the opinion that Pelasgia and Auraria are in a unique situation in this world, which has been ravaged by wars at the behest of Trier and Ivar for quite some time. I do not think it controversial to state that the Pelasgian Government is certainly exhausted from these conflicts. I think it fair to say the world needs change and I am hoping that this meeting here today is the beginning of that change…the start of a new peace.”

“I am here by the request of my Government and the graciousness of yours, to negotiate a path forward for both Auraria and Pelasgia as well as agree that the old ways of this world need to change and that we all, here today, be given the opportunity to create that change.”

 

[Pelasgia]

"The honour is all ours, Minister Ferreiro," Minister Avgiros replied. The comment on difference was rather clear to both sides; the Nationalists themselves had wished to control the Church following their victory, but such considerations would have to wait for the opportune time-when the old High Clergy leaders were dead or gone, and when the Nationalists had solidified their rule. Until then, the spiritual branch of the Crown's power in Pelasgia would have to be tolerated in acting as a state within a state, rather than an organ of the state.

"The web of alliances that dominates Europe, or at least used to dominate her until but a few months ago, is the result of a desire to maintain peace. Alas, all it has achieved is a conflict the likes of which Europe has not seen in decades if not centuries. But from the ashes of this conflict, a new world can rise. Pelasgia itself is in the process of rebuilding and it shall, certainly, be a new country in a decade's time, much different from before."

The Minister paused to allow the translator to do his work. In his mind, and perhaps in the minds of all the attending Pelasgians, Auraria was in many ways morally repugnant and orderless, but the repugnance was probably mutual. However, there was no place for moralising in statecraft. That, at least, had been one of the primary points of difference between the Imperials and the Nationalists.

"To this end, we would aim to see a new cooperation between our countries. It is no secret that Pelasgia is not as interested in Gallo-Germania as it once was, but the Long Sea is still an area of primary concern for the Empire. An agreement to respect each other's sphere of influence while working together to ensure peace and stability could be beneficial for of Europe. Our Status Quo Treaty with Kadikistan is a perfect example of this, seeing that it allowed peace to reign in the Kalahari throughout the Great War."

The Minister took a sip of water before continuing.

"Of course, such an agreement would have to be reinforced by other considerations. In our view, there is nothing that can strengthen peace and friendship between two countries more than mutual interests in the form of trade. I hope that Solis would agree with Propontis that an economic arrangement to free and boost trade between our countries would be mutually beneficial to an immense degree."